Rocker Sex God
by Katy5219
Summary: AU/AH. Rockstar Damon. Journalist Elena. A drinking game. This couldn't end well, even if it had started out that way. Which it hadn't. Continued due to popular demand and the author's boredom!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Yikes, did I just start (well, finish?) another story? To those of you following IYCAM (If any of my lovely IYCAM readers take a peek at this, that is!), fret not, I'm almost done with the next chapter. I'll probably post it in a day or so, though my estimates tend to be a lil' shaky. Anyways, in case anyone is wondering about this one...This is absolutely dedicated to my friend, Ny (NySoria on FF, a great writer!), who pretty much prompted me to write about rocker Damon. Somehow we got on to the subject through Adam Levine (holy hell is that guy hot!), who we dubbed "Rocker Sex God". Now, this was supposed to be a smutty oneshot but...As I started writing this, it started expanding and I am thinking of continuing it. If I do, I'll probably change the name to something more appropriate. If I don't, Rocker Sex God will live on as a private joke never to be spoken of again lol. Anyways, that's enough rambling for one time. Hope someone likes this!

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><p>It was official. She was going to kill Alaric. What kind of an editor would send a journalist to cover a story as vapid as this one? Elena smirked to herself, disillusioned. The headline "Damon Salvatore - God of Sex, Prophet of Rock" was downright top notch for <em>Glitterati<em>, the turd of a tabloid she worked for. Beggars couldn't be choosers, she reminded herself.

It was a miracle she'd even gotten this job. A 25-year old community college graduate with no previous work experience truly was the beggar of the capitalist world. After the death of their parents, she'd been forced to say goodbye to dreams of serious journalism in exchange for being able to provide for her brother. Interning for a major magazine wasn't an option to those who needed to feed 17-year old stoners.

It was because of this, that Elena Gilbert found herself waiting in line to see The Immortals play their first major New York gig. At an underground club like The Black Death though, the music simply served as an excuse for finding a hot body to grind up against. She looked down at herself once more, cursing Alaric yet again for sending her on a job that made her feel like Nemo on dry land. Or Shamu, she thought, as she stared at the anorexic skanks lined up ahead of her.

She was dressed in a black pencil skirt and a white, ruffled shirt, completely work-appropriate and reporter chic. She looked cute, at least by her own standards. Only cute wasn't going to get her by in a place that catered only for women dressed in napkins. Elena tugged at her shirt self-consciously and took a few steps forward with the rest of the line. She looked down at her watch, thanking her lucky stars, that she still had 30 minutes before the band was set to begin their set.

What was the plan again? Oh yes, to spend 2 hours listening to some emo music written by a nail-polish wearing punk, and afterwards beg said punk for an interview. Elena couldn't help the grimace that spread across her face. She didn't even understand why this Damon Salvatore guy was worthy of her precious time. She hadn't heard even heard of him before Alaric called her up today. Apparently him and his band were the hottest new band in town, and it was her job to see if the man lived up to the myth of a womanizing asshat.

As Alaric had vaguely told her, this Damon character was quite the ladies' man. Elena had rolled her eyes so hard on the phone at that, she'd been amazed that Alaric hadn't heard it from across the city. Why was it that women were drawn to men who screamed into a mic while looking like angsty 13-year old boys? What was it about the mysterious bad boy persona that could cause a chain reaction of panties dropping? At least you knew what you got when you went with the wholesome guy, she thought.

Elena groaned audibly. Why couldn't her brain ever remember that the first and last wholesome guy in her life had also crushed her heart? Matt had left her 6 months ago, telling her that she was too focused on her career. She'd found it beyond ironic, considering one couldn't be too focused on a career that didn't exist. The bigger shock, however, had come a week later when she'd spotted him making out with a girl consisting of only boobs and legs at a tiny coffee shop. She'd bolted and never looked back. Men were evil, except for two – Her dear friends, Ben and Jerry.

After what felt like eternity, Elena finally reached the door, where she swiftly waved her press pass and entered the stuffed inside of the club. She found herself cursing Alaric once again for not giving her enough time to go home and change her clothes beforehand. The air inside the club was hot and humid. She could feel her skin turn slick with sweat. She checked the time again. 15 minutes left before the show. She still had enough time to push her way to the bar and get a bottled water, and go to the restroom before the band got there.

After succeeding in both tasks, Elena shoved her way to the centre of the floor, where she had optimal view of the stage. She ignored the catty looks she was getting from the horde of hoes scattered around the dancefloor, not wanting to feel even more out of place than she already did. As she focused on the stage, she heard the techno beat in the background fade out and saw the lights dim. The people started taking their places beside her on the floor in anticipation for the band, and Elena found herself genuinely mystified by the ambiance.

The people, or girls to be more precise, seemed genuinely entranced by now, as if they were a part of something bigger than themselves. Elena mentally slapped herself. She couldn't allow herself to be swept up in the fanaticism of teenaged fangirls, she was a grown woman doing her job. 10 seconds later, she was ready to eat her words as her jaw hit the floor with a loud thud.

Oh, she understood it now. As Damon Salvatore, her story, took the stage, she felt mesmerized by his sheer presence. It went beyond his chiseled face, that came set with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. It even went beyond the ridiculously toned body adorned with tattoos and clad in only leather pants. What it came down to, she noted immediately, was that the man had charisma. After adjusting his mic and briefly conversing with his band (whose arrival Elena had missed, a fact she was too embarrassed to admit to herself), he looked up at the crowd and gave a tiny smirk, causing the majority of the girls to scream like hyenas.

Elena covered her ears momentarily while wincing at the decibel level. Were all these girls teenagers?

"Thank you all for coming," Damon began, with a silky smooth voice that made Elena want to do bad things, "This next song goes out to the pretty little brunette in the front row."

Elena looked around, bored, searching for the bimbo that had caught his eye. As she scanned the crowd, she couldn't help but notice people staring at her incredulously. A feeling of dread washed over her. He couldn't possibly be talking about her, could he? She looked up at him, her eyes wide and inquisitive. Damon gave her a lopsided smile and winked, before starting his song. Elena gasped, feeling trapped under his stare.

She felt as if she was staring into the barrel of a shotgun, the rest of the room seemed to disappear, and she truly felt as if he was singing directly to her. As the band started the first notes of the song, Elena was surprised by the mellow sounds coming from their instruments...She'd been expecting something...less intense.

_Watch the sunrise  
>Say your goodbyes<br>Off we go  
>Some conversation<br>No contemplation  
>Hit the road<em>

_Car overheats_  
><em>Jump out of my seat<em>  
><em>On the side of the highway baby<em>  
><em>Our road is long<em>  
><em>Your hold is strong<em>  
><em>Please don't ever let go oh no<em>

God, was it possible for someone's voice to sound like sex? Elena mentally chided herself, she couldn't understand why she was reacting to him so strongly. She was a professional journalist! She wasn't supposed to want to dryhump some tatted up rocker, just because he was singing straight to her heart. Or to some other place that wouldn't be mentioned, Elena thought, as she shifted in her place, suddenly feeling...feverish. When he hit the chorus, Elena forgot all her inhibitions and felt herself get swept away in his seductive lyrics.

_I know I don't know you  
>But I want you so bad<br>Everyone has a secret  
>But can they keep it<br>Oh no they can't _

Her body definitely wanted to get acquainted with his body. Bad Elena, she mentally chastised herself. She needed to keep her composure if she wanted to bring in a decent story. Damon finished singing the song to thunderous applauds, and he took a big, theatrical bow in front of the crowd. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Thank you!" Damon smirked. "This next song goes out to...that hot blonde over there in the corner."

And thus the moment was ruined. Elena was livid. She'd never felt more objectified. How dare he...Well, she wasn't quite sure what his crime was, except that he was a bastard! Elena briskly walked over to the bar and ordered another water, ignoring the voice inside of her that was telling her she was disappointed.

Disappointed that she wasn't unique in any way to him. Not that she could expect that from a complete stranger, the attention however, had felt flattering. He's just like Matt, she thought, a pig looking for an easy lay. Elena stayed by the bar for the rest of the gig, not even bothering to look for his haunting cerulean eyes again.

As the show was about to close, Elena went outside to wait by the backdoor for the band to come out. Despite her personal feelings about the man, she had to admit, he was a scoop indeed. Their female readers would go absolutely crazy over him.

The metal door next to her head opened with a loud bang, startling her. Out walked Damon, the rest of the members of his band, and a flurry of what she assumed were groupies. Damon had his arm wrapped around the "hot blonde" he'd dedicated his second song to. Elena huffed. She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy, what an asshole!

As Damon was saying goodbye to the rest of his band and looking for his car keys, Elena decided to

make her move. She didn't spend her whole night in this hellhole for nothing.

"Damon!" She yelled loudly.

He turned around, confused, even more so when he spotted her marching briskly towards him. He dropped his arm from the blonde's waist and moved slightly away from her.

"Elena Gilbert, I work for _Glitterati_ magazine." She extended her arm.

He chuckled at her, not lifting his hand to shake hers. Elena felt her skin turn red, but she refused to back down.

"Hello, Cutie," He said, leering at her appreciatively. If before she'd wished to have dressed more provocatively, now she wished she'd worn a parka.

"I prefer Elena or Ms. Gilbert, actually," She frostily replied.

Damon grinned at her, looking pleased with her answer. "Okay then Elena, what is it that you want? An autograph? A kiss? A life-size poster of me to sleep next to?"

She rolled her eyes, a bad habit she was developing now after meeting him.

"I want an interview with you, one on one." She said determinedly.

Damon started openly laughing at her. "Sorry, the sexy librarian look is very convincing and all, but I don't need to give interviews to shitty tabloids. And frankly, you and me, one and one? Neither one of us would be talking, lover."

His band started laughing at her and Elena could once again feel herself grow embarrassed. Don't you fucking cry, she told herself. She hadn't worked this hard in her life to be ridiculed by some womanizer thinking he ruled the world! She smirked to herself as she watched him fumble with his car keys.

"Oh Damon! One more thing – How do you like the headline "Damon Salvatore caught doing drugs while doing jailbait!", I think it has a ring to it, don't you?" She crossed her arms, looking more lethal than ever.

He turned back around, slowly, his blue eyes dark with anger. "You wouldn't dare, that's a lie!"

Elena cocked her eyebrows at him in challenge and shrugged. "Who cares? After all, I work for a shitty tabloid, Princess."

He growled and nudged the blonde bimbo away from him. "Find a ride home, Caroline."

The blonde huffed, angrily stomping her foot. "But Damon, we were supposed to...hang out tonight."

"I'm sure you can find someone else to scratch that particular itch, Care, because it sure as hell won't be me." He smiled at her cruelly.

Elena felt sorry for the blonde as she saw tears gathering in her blue eyes. The blonde stormed off, with one of the band members, a lanky guy with spiky hair, following her. The rest of his band scattered off, quite obviously wanting to avoid the altercation about to occur.

Elena turned back to Damon. "Was that necessary?"

"It's your fault I had to do it." He countered her matter of factly.

"It's my fault you're a piece of shit?" Elena asked faux-innocently.

He rolled his eyes in retort and pointed at his car. "As you can see, I drive a sports car, built specifically for two. Now, Caroline could've of course sat in your lap, but I wasn't sure if you swung that way."

Elena could've strangled him. Was he pure evil? He might as well have been called Damien, she angrily thought.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I've been up for 48 hours and I'm about to drop. Do you want your fucking interview or not?"

"Yes, I want my fucking interview." Elena gritted out.

Damon hopped into his car and patted the seat next to him. "Hop on in then, baby."

Elena rolled her eyes and walked to the other side of the fancy, red car. Why couldn't anything in her life ever go smoothly?

* * *

><p>He opened the door to his apartment and switched on the lights. Without further fanfare, he walked inside and threw his bag on the floor. To say Elena was underwhelmed would've been an understatement.<p>

Empty beer cans and dirty clothes littered the floor of the spacious loft. The windows were dirty and she spotted dirty dishes everywhere. Oh god...that wasn't a used condom, was it? Elena didn't want to step any closer to find out.

"I like what you...clearly haven't done with the place." She said, frowning with disdain. She didn't live in excellent conditions either, but at least she'd made an effort to build a home for Jeremy and herself.

Damon popped out from behind a corner, taking off the leather vest he was wearing. Elena could feel herself growing flushed just looking at him.

"Jesus, can't you keep your clothes on?" She nearly screamed at him.

Damon simply smirked at her and dropped the vest on the floor, leaving his chest and stomach completely exposed. Elena worked to ignore the tiny sweat droplets on his skin, and the tiny patch of hair on his lower abdomen, that lead to his...Not going there.

"Scared you can't keep your hands off me?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Ugh, you wish." She shook her head and moved deeper inside the apartment. She kept her heels on, not wanting to cut herself on broken glass or a...heroin needle or something.

Damon shrugged and moved to the mini fridge he had in the corner.

"You want a beer, 'Lena?"

"No." She immediately replied.

"Suit yourself."

He grabbed a bottle, slamming the cork against a counter. He flopped down on a dingy, green couch, once more patting the seat next to him. Elena sighed, grabbed her purse and went to sit beside him.

Damon chugged half of his beer down at once and sighed in appreciation. Elena looked away as she saw him flex his muscles like a cat. She was a professional, she was in control of her base urges.

"Do you mind if I use a recorder?" Elena asked in an attempt to break the silence. Guess blackmailing celebrities with slander wasn't the way to go in winning them over, Elena thought sarcastically.

"Nope," He said, popping the 'p' obscenely.

Elena took out her tape recorder and turned it on. "Okay then Damon, how old are you?"

He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously, that's what you're starting with?"

"Several of his close friends can attest to Mr. Salvatore's perverse fascination with girls in schoolgirl uniforms, a kink caused by him not being breastfed..." Elena started prattling off, trying to keep herself from giggling.

He raised his arms in surrender. "I'm 26."

"And how long has your band been doing music?"

"Two years."

"What made you want to become an artist?"

Damon smirked. "The women."

She couldn't even bring herself to roll her eyes this time, it was too predictable.

"Sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, huh?" She asked.

Damon shrugged, seemingly weighing the question. "Not really. It's not as glamorous as it sounds like."

Elena scrunched her nose and looked around his apartment. "I can see that."

Damon chuckled humorlessly. "Are you done?"

She frowned. "No, not even close."

He groaned and shut his eyes. "Woman, you are killing me."

"In addition, Salvatore has been spotted in women's pantyhose on numerous occasions, a habit he learned while dancing with the Chippendales..." Elena trailed off dangerously.

His eyes bugged out comically, much to her pleasure. "Seriously, are you the devil?"

Elena shook her head dramatically. "Nope, just determined to write my story."

Damon sat up and turned to face her, his expression sober now.

"Look, I get the whole bitchy, assertive, social climber thing. But seriously? None of your readers will give a shit about my age or how long my band's been together. If you ask me, which you shouldn't since I'm drunk, you should dig deeper, go for the juicy stuff."

Elena looked at him suspiciously. Were her questions really that boring? She could feel her old insecurities rising to the surface. Matt had always told her to loosen up. Even Jeremy called her stuck-up from time to time. Could it hurt to go off book just once? There was only one way to find out.

She took a deep breath. "Okay, just assuming I'm interested, what are you suggesting?"

Damon didn't answer her verbally, instead he walked over to the counter and picked up a full bottle of tequila. Elena looked at him incredulously. He couldn't be serious.

"You want me to go on a bender with you?"

He chuckled. "How adorable of you to find me that uninspired."

Elena frowned. "What then?"

He walked over to her languorously, as if he was a predator searching for his prey, and bent down to his knees in front of her.

"I want us..." Was he staring at her lips? "To play a drinking game."

She raised her eyebrows. "What! What good could that do, I don't even know any drinking games!"

He popped the cork on the bottle and took a deep swig. "All the more reason for you to learn. Look, you want a good story, I'll help you. The rules are simple. You ask me questions. If I answer, you take a shot. If I don't, I take a shot."

Elena still felt wary about the idea. She didn't feel comfortable getting drunk with a complete stranger in his apartment. Was it even ethical?

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice didn't sound quite as strong as she'd hoped to her own ears.

He looked confused. "Doing what?"

"Trying to help me."

He gave her a smile that made her heart flutter. "It's a mixture of boredom and pity, unbeatable combo. Also, I wouldn't mind getting you hammered and having a naked slumber party with you."

"No way!"

Elena let out a very unladylike growl. Screw uptight Elena. Screw ethics. Screw him. She grabbed the open bottle from him and took a deep drink. As she lowered the bottle from her lips, she smiled at him dangerously.

"Let's play then."

* * *

><p>Elena giggled and took another shot.<p>

"Okay then! When did you lose your virginity?" She asked, clutching the bottle between her legs.

Damon gave her his trademark smirk, though it lacked in effect since his eyes were glazed and droopy.

"14!" He yelled out gleefully.

Elena took another sip of the tequila before smiling at him playfully. "You were 14? God, you're such a...such a...manwhore!"

He let out snort. "What did you just call me?"

Elena stood up and twirled a bit. "Hey, I'm the one asking the questions, emo boy!"

Damon smiled, closed his eyes, and lowered himself on to the mattress he was sitting on. Elena pranced around his apartment, dancing, and spinning. Why did she even hate Damon? He was such a nice guy, she thought to herself. She danced back over to him, nearly galloping with joy. Damon was so...Elena didn't have the chance to finish her thought as she tripped over the bottle of tequila and felt her feet leave the ground.

She finally got to finish her sentence. Damon was so underneath her. Literally. By some cosmic joke, she'd landed straight on top of him and was now holding on to his muscled arms for dear life.

"Whoah, are you alright?" He asked, his eyes scanning her for any visible signs of injury.

Elena started giggling uncontrollably. "I failed!"

"Damon narrowed his eyes. "What the hell? Did you have a concussion or something?"

Elena laughed even harder, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Finally, she recovered and looked at him. "I couldn't keep my hands off you!"

With that, she started laughing again with Damon joining her. "If it makes you feel any better, not many women can."

Elena sobered up at that and sat up, effectively straddling him. He gasped at her boldness, but she wasn't interested in that. She couldn't help but remember the way he kept dedicating song after song to different women at the club. She was just that, one among many.

She picked up the nearly empty bottle of tequila. "I'm curious..."

She definitely had his attention now. "About what?"

Elena looked at him with her big, brown doe-eyes. "Why did you dedicate that song to me?"

She waved the bottle in front of his face, challenging him to not answer her. He was having none of that.

"I...honestly, I don't know." He stuttered. It was making her uncomfortable seeing him be this...well, uncomfortable.

"Lame!" She yelled out. "You better finish the rest, because that doesn't count!"

Damon glowered at her before sighing deeply. "If I really think about it...You were just so beautiful that I couldn't bear the idea of not getting to communicate with you somehow."

Elena chuckled mirthlessly. "I bet you say that to all the bimbos dumb enough to fall for it."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you I did?" Damon raised an eyebrow at her.

Elena matched his movement, moving ever so slightly closer to him. "Would you be telling the truth?"

Damon licked his lips, drawing her attention to his plump lower lip. "Nope. But..."

She didn't know where this newfound boldness was coming from. On the record, she blamed it on the booze. Off the record, she knew she was only doing what she'd wanted to do ever since she first saw him.

Elena lowered her face only inches away from his, enjoying the way she could feel his warm breath tickle her skin. He brought his hands to her waist, where they stragetically started moving south, before landing on her round, firm ass. Elena couldn't help the shudder that passed through her body.

"But what?" She whispered. God, why did he have to be so devastatingly beautiful?

He grasped her ass and pulled her down further, allowing her to feel the bulge in his pants.

"But somehow, I don't think you care." He said.

Elena grasped the bottle in her hands, uncorked it, and swiftly finished it. She looked at him through hooded eyes.

"You're right. I don't care."

With that, she threw logic to the wind and kissed him with all she had. After a second of uncharacteristic hesitation, he responded with equal fervor. Elena could taste the cigarettes, the booze, and something indescribably him on his tongue. She could feel a fire starting to crackle in the pit of her stomach, a fire that wouldn't be extinguished by anyone but him. God, she really did belong to a trashy tabloid!

Damon tangled his fingers in her curls, and she moaned at the feel of his hands roaming her skin. He brought his hands to cup her breasts as she grinded herself against him, wanting the friction, no, needing it. He tore off the buttons of her shirt, effectively exposing her to him.

"Hey, that was my favorite shirt!" Elena yelled at him and slapped his bare chest.

He laughed heartily. "I could tell you I'll buy you a new one, but really, who are we kidding here?"

"Ugh, you're so...Ugh!" Elena kissed him again and tangled her fingers violently into his raven black hair.

Damon smiled against her lips. "Right back at ya, baby."

As her hands freely roamed the planes of his hard muscles, she finally reached her destination. Elena pulled down the fly of his pants and grasped his cock in her hand.

"Don't call me that," She said, her voice low and dangerous.

Damon closed his eyes, allowing himself to get immersed in the feel of her hand wrapped around him.

"Yes, Ms. Gilbert." He managed to breathe out.

As she continued to work him to oblivion, he slowly started maneuvering her skirt up to her waist. His hands grasped firmly around her inner thighs, only inches away from where she wanted him, and he hooked his thumbs through her panties.

"No, no, no!" Elena managed to gasp out, "You are not ripping those, they were expensive!"

He started pulling them down her legs gently, thrusting into her hand playfully at the same time. "Looks like someone learns fast,"

Elena giggled and tugged at his cock a little harder than was necessarily pleasurable. His breath hitched and his eyes appeared almost black with lust.

"You were saying?" Elena asked, attempting to sound collected.

Damon grabbed her waist and suddenly flipped them over on the floor, causing her to squeal. "I really don't give a fuck right now, I just need to be inside you right now."

Elena shrugged out of her panties for good and hooked one of her legs around his waist, causing their heated centers to collide for the first time. She moaned and bit her lip. It was as if Reporter Elena and Slut Elena were battling it out inside her head, and she didn't know which one to listen to. On one hand, there was sex with the hunk of a man on top of her. On the other, was professional credibility and the chance to stick it to Damon, once and for all.

"Well aren't you a romantic," She dryly remarked as she looped her arms around his neck.

"Thought you didn't care," He countered and slipped a finger inside of her. "God, you're so wet for me."

She was. Elena stifled a moan. If that was what the man could do with a finger...He was right. This wasn't about love or about connecting, this was about sex.

Elena pushed at his shoulders and looked at him with feverish eyes. "I want you now."

Damon stopped to look at her, his eyes searching hers. "Are you sure?"

Elena growled in frustration and used her legs to flip them over once more. With the momentum she had built and spurred on by the tequila in her veins, she quickly impaled herself on his hard, thick member.

They moaned in unison as her walls tightened around him. She looked at him and smiled. They were a perfect fit. It was quite sad.

"Please Damon, don't act like you care," She whispered.

She didn't give him time to form a response, instead opting to ride him hard and fast. She was encouraged by the tiny moans and gasps he let out. Over and over, she slammed herself down on him, enjoying him, using him.

He pulled himself up to meet her, rocking her body against his. She let out a tiny mewl as he teased her breasts.

"Fuck, Elena, you feel so good!" He gasped against her heated skin.

She rested her slick forehead against his, enjoying the rhythm of their movements. She spared a glance at his face and noticed his eyes staring at her, with something akin to amazement.

"So do you," She whispered.

It was as if she was back at that club, listening to him sing to her. She was just...lost in a tidal wave of emotion. It felt as if a dam had broken and there was no way to hold in the inevitable.

"Damon..." That was all she could say before her mind exploded into a supernova.

He followed her over the edge, falling backwards on to the dirty mattress with her on top of him. As they fought to catch their breaths, reality caught up with her. What was wrong with her? She just slept with a complete stranger, a stranger she was writing a story on! Good job, Elena, that Pulitzer's already on the horizon, Reporter Elena chided her. Well, he was pretty hot, Slut Elena chimed in.

"Oh my God..." She breathed against his neck.

As she felt his taut skin vibrate, she knew he was laughing at her.

She pouted and looked at him. He grinned. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

And they were right back to where they'd started off. Elena stood up and started gathering her clothes.

"Well, this has been awkward enough." She lowered her skirt down her thighs and looked for her shirt. "Don't worry, you'll never see me after this, I can promise you that."

Elena picked up her shirt and frowned. It looked like it had been on a date with a mountain lion. She showed it to Damon who simply gave her his trademark smirk.

"T-shirt, on the floor. In the corner." He pointed.

Elena put the oversized shirt on, knowing full well she looked like she'd just been fucked. Finally, Elena picked up the discarded tape recorder and placed it into the safety of her bag. That tape had picked up some things she wasn't proud of.

As she walked over to the door, she turned around. She couldn't leave without saying something, could she?

"Listen..." She began, searching for the right words, "I just wanted to thank you for helping me with my story. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I really appreciate it. So yeah."

She held her breath, waiting for his reply. He remained completely silent. She was puzzled. Didn't he feel like gloating over her expressing her gratitude to him? Her thoughts were interrupted when a loud snore pierced the silence. Elena gasped in shock and disgust, slamming his door shut loudly on her way out.

Asshole.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, that's that! Hope someone liked it!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>"<em>Salvatore opted to scream into the microphone with the intensity of an alley cat on LSD-"<em>

"_Salvatore dresses like an overly emotional teenager- "_

"_His greatest achievement is getting blonde bimbos to fall for his tortured act- "_

"_A living, breathing STD-"_

Alaric stopped reading the quotes and looked up at her. "Elena, what the hell were you thinking?"

Elena shrugged. "You tell me. You're the one who decided to print it."

Alaric chuckled. "You're damn right I printed it. I'll admit, you didn't so much write about the concert as used 2000 words to slaughter Damon Salvatore's character, but it'll sell like hot cakes."

Elena smirked. Score. After the embarrassing ordeal that was their one night stand, Elena had been hellbent on on getting some good old-fashioned vengeance. Even after the dust had settled for a week, she still couldn't believe him. He'd fallen asleep! Asshole.

She didn't understand what had happened to her. Why the hell had she slept with him? She could blame the tequila all she wanted, but deep down, she knew she'd wanted it. At least she was on the pill. She stifled a groan, not wanting Alaric, a professional gossip, to find out any more than he should.

"When are we getting the preliminary numbers for the circulation?" Elena asked.

"Sometime next week. Seriously though, you've written lots of pieces for us before, but never anything like this one."

Elena narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Alaric raised his hands in defense. "Don't get me wrong, you're a perfectly adequate writer, but your pieces have just lacked...passion. Like you haven't really been paying attention to what you've been writing about."

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's hard to get excited over Heidi Montag's new boobs."

Alaric hit his desk lightly with the rolled up magazine. "But for some reason, you got excited about Damon Salvatore, didn't you?"

Elena's eyes bugged out comically. Oh she'd gotten excited. "I don't think so."

"Oh don't try to deny it, he got under your skin, didn't he?" Alaric asked, innocently enough.

She'd never wanted the earth to open up and swallow her like just then. "I don't know, I just really didn't like him."

"I'm surprised you managed to get these quotes from him though. I mean, this is outrageous stuff, even by our standards."

"I've told you before, Ric," Elena sighed, "I can do my job and I can do it well."

Alaric nodded to himself. "I'm starting to see that. I know the tabloid industry isn't perhaps the best fit for you, but we just need to find you suitable pieces like this one."

Elena couldn't help the tiny smile that broke out on her face. "I don't think another story like this is going to magically fall into my lap, but I appreciate the vote of confidence."

Alaric looked uncomfortable and smiled at her awkwardly. "Yeah, about that..."

She was beyond suspicious now. Alaric had always been like a father figure to her, ever since she first started at _Glitterati_. He was never scared to give her critique or tell things to her straight. What was so awful that he was having trouble forming it into words?

"Just spit it out, so I can yell "No!" obscenely loud," Elena sighed.

Alaric grinned. "I'd prefer it if you didn't and rather listened to what I have to say. The manager of The Immortals called me two days ago."

Elena perked up at that. She knew that a lot of the other reporters had been pulled into long court cases for slander and other misdemeanors, but she'd always managed to keep herself out of trouble. Until now. She couldn't think of another reason for Damon's manager to be contacting her boss.

"Was he mad?" Elena asked, unsure of what the protocol was. She couldn't get into any legal trouble or lose her job, she had a teenager to feed!

Alaric shook his head. "Surprisingly, no. He actually wanted to call and thank us."

Elena looked at him disbelievingly. "Is this a joke? I tore his lead singer a new one!"

"I was shocked too, believe me. Apparently all the buzz surrounding your article has been excellent PR for the band. I guess it's true what they say about any publicity being good publicity." He laughed to himself.

Elena was furious. She'd wanted to destroy the jerk, not lift him up to new heights! Why was she being punished? She was a good person. She flossed, gave money to the poor, and made an effort to stop her little brother from turning into a complete stoner. Life just wasn't fair.

"Elena, are you listening?" Alaric roused her from her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry, I just needed a minute to clear my head," Elena said and tucked a stray strand from her tight bun behind her ear.

"Well anyways, we got to talking and we decided we should...for lack of a better term, collaborate." He looked at the ceiling as he finished his sentence, obviously having an issue looking her straight in the eye.

Elena crossed her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows. "Collaborate how?"

Alaric grinned. "Here's where the story gets really funny. You're joining The Immortals on the first leg of their tour."

"No." Elena replied immediately.

He had to be out of his mind. There was no way she'd ever spend another minute in the presence of that low-life scumbag, even if he had kind of called her beautiful. Elena shrugged the disturbing thought to the back of her mind and gave her attention back to her boss.

"Now, I know you said you don't like him, but..."

"But what? It's my call, Alaric, I won't do it. Besides, even if I wanted to, I couldn't just leave Jeremy alone for that long." She worked very hard to keep her voice steady.

"Elena, I'm your boss. I can't exactly force you to do this, but I strongly recommend it. And Isobel and I can easily accommodate Jeremy for a few weeks, it's not an issue."

Elena exhaled deep and closed her eyes. "When you say you strongly recommend it..."

Alaric shook his head quickly. "Don't worry, I'd never make you choose between your job and this piece, but Elena, this is for your own good."

She looked at him skeptically. How was it in any way good for her to spend 2 months traveling in a dingy bus with the man she hated more than anything else on the planet?

Alaric sighed. "This is a stepping stone, 'Lena. The big chiefs read your story on Salvatore and they loved it. You didn't hear this from me, but this could result in a pretty big promotion for you. All you need to do is follow him and his band around, and write about everything you see. Spare no details."

Elena cringed. He really was an excellent fit for a tabloid editor, he knew just what strings to pull. She needed money. A promotion was something she'd dreamt of ever since she started her job a year ago. She would earn a little more, and have more leeway with the topics she chose to write about.

If Damon Salvatore was the way to achieve that...She did have a mortgage to pay. Did she have a choice? But was it even ethical? She'd slept with the man and then let her personal feelings about him affect her writing. It was uncharacteristically unprofessional of her.

She could feel a tiny migraine coming. "I don't know, Alaric. Can I have a little time to think it over?"

"You have until tomorrow night. The bus takes off in 3 days." Alaric said.

Elena nodded. She excused herself and walked out of his office with shaky legs. She sat down behind her desk and placed her head against the cool wooden surface. Life really was unfair. To choose between a brand spanking new title and the devil incarnate...I might as well have been called Sophie, she glumly thought.

"What's with the tortured writer act?" A cheery voice asked.

Elena didn't raise her head. "I'm being kidnapped by rock stars."

"Jeez, did you just wake up today and decide to re-enact _Almost Famous_ as a one-woman show?" Bonnie laughed at her friend's spontaneous movie reference.

"I'm not kidding, Bon, Ric wants me to cover the first leg of The Immortals' tour." Elena raised her head just to glare at her friend.

Bonnie looked at her incredulously. "Seriously? _Glitterati_ isn't known for pieces like that. Are you going to do it?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I haven't decided yet." Elena muttered, already tired of the subject.

"But why wouldn't you?" Bonnie asked. "I'm only an intern, but isn't that a huge break from writing gossip blurbs?"

Elena looked at her pointedly. "You're right, you are just an intern, but that doesn't mean you're any less...Right."

Sometimes she cursed the world for having such a smart best friend. How her friend was only fresh out of High School and already getting her life on track, she had no clue. She felt like a failure in comparison.

"You're not telling me something," Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her.

Elena cursed the other girl in her head. She was a natural-born journalist, smelling scandals a mile away. Elena looked at the tiny recorder lying on her desk. It looked innocent enough, but what it contained...She hadn't gotten around to erasing the interview yet.

All of a sudden, she was bombarded with very vivid flashbacks and she couldn't help but blush. The man might've been a sleaze, but he knew what he was doing, Slut Elena commented inside her head. Enough with the smutty day dreams, Reporter Elena joined in.

"I'm gonna get it out of you sooner or later," Bonnie threatened her playfully.

Elena looked at the clock. 4:30 pm. She stood up and started gathering her things. "It's a good thing I need to pick up Jeremy from school then, isn't it?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Fine, use your loser brother as an excuse to not talk to your best friend."

It was Elena's turn to roll her eyes as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "What is it with you two? You're at it like cats and dogs whenever you're in the same room,"

Bonnie shrugged. "You learn a lot about a person's character when you go to school with them. Don't get me wrong, Jeremy's a nice guy, but we just have completely different values."

"Anyone ever tell you you're kind of judgmental?" Elena commented.

"You." Bonnie instantly replied. "Pretty much every day, I might add."

"As long as you're aware," Elena sing songed and placed her recorder inside her purse. She'd wipe it clean later when she got home.

"Are you really not going to tell me why you don't wanna go?" Bonnie stared at her with her wide hazel eyes, trying to guilt her into telling.

Elena raised her hands. "Don't even try that with me. I'm a brick wall, babe."

"Fine." Bonnie huffed.

"Bye, Ms. Bennett," Elena grinned as she walked away.

She said goodbye to a few more of her coworkers before walking over to the elevators and punching the button. She tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. She couldn't wait to get home and change out of her stuffy office clothes. True, she rocked her polka dot skirt and white blouse quite well, but she craved the comfort her jammies would bring her.

She said a silent prayer as she heard the telltale sound of the elevator arriving. Just as she was about to walk in, she stopped due to what she could only guess was a heart attack. There, leaning against the back of the elevator, was Damon Salvatore. He smirked gleefully as he saw her.

"Well, if it isn't just the girl I'm looking for," He stood up and started walking towards her.

Elena started backing away slowly. "I'm just gonna take the stairs."

She was in no state of mind to deal with him, her day had been turbulent enough. Just as she turned away from him, she felt a hand grasp her wrist and pull her inside the elevator. She fell smack against his chest and grabbed his shoulders for support. As she straightened herself, she glared at him lethally.

"Sorry, Princess, you and I need a serious time-out." He said as the doors closed and the elevator started going down.

Elena huffed and leaned against the wall. She had nothing to say to him. Even if he did look particularly delicious, decked out in a simple black tee and black leather pants. She could see his muscles ripple underneath his shirt and the way the pants hugged his lean form...Elena groaned. This was not of the good.

"Since 20 floors doesn't seem like enough time to hash this out..." Damon trailed off before punching the stop button.

The elevator came to a halt abruptly, causing her to stumble a bit. She reached for the wall for support as he smirked at her.

"You're just falling all over yourself because of me, aren't you?" He asked and winked at her.

Elena crossed her arms. "You better get this elevator moving fast before..."

"You ride my hot, tight body to new levels of carnal pleasure?" He asked, batting his eyes innocently.

Elena took a deep breath and willed herself to calm down. "No, before your inflated ego takes up all the air in this metallic box of death and I die from asphyxiation!"

He shook his head, grinning at her madly. "I don't get your stuck-up, prissy act. We had a perfectly nice night, and then you go and call me names in a nation-wide article. You really hurt my feelings."

"I stand by every word." Elena cocked her eyebrows at him, challenging him.

"I think it was terribly one-sided and missing some extremely entertaining facts."

"Such as?"

He gave her a lopsided smile. "How the author is a hypocritical bitch who couldn't wait to jump my bones."

Elena rolled her eyes. "That was your fault. You got me drunk."

He chuckled. "Do you always get that frisky when you're hammered? If so, I may seriously need to to re-stock the bus before you hop on."

She sighed. She couldn't deal with this right now. "First of all, no amount of alcohol will ever get me to touch your filthy body again. Second, I'm not taking the job so you can stop trying to convince me."

Elena could almost see something akin to hurt flash in his blue eyes, before the emotion was masked with a familiar layer of indifference. "I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't want you to take the job. I came here to talk you out of it."

Elena frowned. "What?"

"Seriously? You compared me to venereal diseases, mocked my clothes, talked trash about my singing, and made all my groupies mad. My brother, the ever dutiful manager, might think you're good for business, but I don't want you anywhere near me, Ellen."

"It's Elena," She gritted out. "And you had it coming."

He waved a hand as if to shrug it off. "Had what coming? You're not mad about anything I did, you're mad about being another notch on my guitar strap."

Elena smiled at him devilishly. "Gee, I can't imagine why your harem got mad at you, you're such a sweet talker!"

He glared at her. "Well, this was a lesson. I should never pity fuck the needy and mentally unstable."

She couldn't help it, his comment got to her, even if she knew his words were said in the heat of the moment. Matt had always said she was boring in bed, after all. Suddenly, she found herself getting angrier and angrier.

She stomped over to his side of the elevator and pushed him to the wall by his shoulders. Damon's eyes widened slightly, before he gave her his trademark smirk.

"You want another round then?" He cocked his head slightly and licked his lips.

"I want you out of my life!" Elena hissed out, their faces separated by only a few inches. "Here's what's going to happen. We tell them Jesus and Lucifer will be having afternoon tea before you and I work together. Then, we never, ever, see each other again. Understood?"

Damon nodded. "Perfectly."

"Excellent."

She didn't know who started it, but before she knew what was happening, she was kissing him passionately. She bit on his lower lip, taking out all her frustration on him. Damon placed his hands into her hair, unclipping it from the tight bun, causing it to cascade down her back in loose waves. She moaned as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her body closer to his, until they flush against each other.

Elena reached for the button on his pants and pulled them down, smirking. Did the man own underwear? She grabbed his thick, hard length, enjoying the hiss he let out.

"Do you enjoy all your pity fucks this much?" She asked against his lips.

Damon grabbed her by the waist and pulled her skirt up. Before she could even comprehend what was happening, he slid her panties down her legs and brought his right hand to her heated centre. She swallowed a moan and closed her eyes.

"Still the hypocrite, aren't you? You love having me move inside you, owning that body in ways no one ever has or probably ever will," He whispered into her ear.

"You're such an asshole," She whispered, her eyelids fluttering.

"And you just love that, don't you?"

Elena answered him by shoving him on to the floor, moving to straddle him, despite his painful groan. "Just because we got drunk one night, doesn't mean you know anything about me,"

He looked at her with feverish eyes. "Likewise. Though at least I can own up to being an asshole, can you admit you're hypocrite?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Elena asked.

It was insane. She was insane. There was something about him. Something that made her forget everything else around her. Oh God, she'd never be able to look at the elevator the same way.

She kissed him deeply, exploring his mouth with her tongue. Occasionally, she nipped at his lips with her teeth, an act that got him even harder than he already was. Elena felt his hard length brush against her stomach and moved herself upwards, until she was in place. Without asking for permission or needing one, she sank down on to his cock.

"Fuck, you're so tight," Damon breathed out, grabbing her ass to pull her tighter against him.

Elena closed her eyes and started moving on top of him. She couldn't help her tiny mewls as her walls contracted with each of his powerful thrusts.

"Damon..."

He started guiding her movements by gripping her hips tightly, leaving tiny bruises on her olive skin. She didn't mind, too lost in the haze of her own pleasure to feel anything but him pulsating inside of her.

Suddenly, he flipped them over causing her head to collide with the carpeted floor of the elevator. She groaned, mostly annoyed with him stopping.

He stopped moving inside her and looked at her. "Tell me you want me."

Elena looked at him disbelievingly. "No."

He pushed himself deeper inside her, and she couldn't help the moan that slipped out of her mouth. He raised an eyebrow at her.

Elena huffed. "My body might want you, but me, the person residing inside, definitely does not."

He chuckled. "Not only is she a hypocrite, but she's also a liar. I hate to break it to you, but your body is only doing what you, the person residing inside, is telling it to do."

That made her pause. She knew he was right, and she didn't have a witty retort to throw back at him. If she was honest with herself, he was the best she'd ever had, which was more than just a little sad.

"Fine, you win." She sighed.

He kissed her quickly before placing her leg around his waist. "I always do, but that doesn't mean you have to lose."

He started pounding into her, with fast, hard thrusts. Elena clawed at his back, needing to hold onto something. He angled his thrusts so that he was simultaneously stroking her clit, and Elena had to literally bite her lip to keep from screaming out.

She tried so hard to hold on to her control, but resistance was futile. She felt herself tumble over the edge and she came hard, contracting around him, milking him for all his worth. Damon followed her a few seconds later.

As soon as Elena came down from her high, she fell back to reality with a harsh thud. She pushed him off her and felt her breathing quicken. "Oh my God..."

"Damon works too," He quipped, still lying on the floor.

Elena looked in the mirror and wanted to scream. She looked fucked. Literally. She started combing her hair with her fingers and straightening her clothes. Did she have tissues in her purse?

"This is bad, this is very bad," She mumbled while desperately trying to clean herself up. This was not the behaviour of a responsible, 25-year old reporter.

Damon pulled his pants up while leering at her. "I don't see why you're making such a big deal about it. You had fun, it's over, we move on."

Elena looked at him incredulously. "One, you're a pig. Two, this is the last time we ever see each other, so take a picture, it'll last longer."

Elena took one last look in the mirror. She still looked bad...just not quite as disheveled. She looked down at the floor and cursed as she saw all her purse's contents scattered everywhere. She started picking them up, and throwing them haphazardly into her bag.

Damon leaned against the opposing wall and looked at her. "You know, I changed my mind. I think you and I working together would be a lot of fun."

Elena looked up at him in shock. "Seriously? What the hell is wrong with you? You can forget about it, I'm not going to lose my integrity just to play 20 questions with you."

He shook his head. "Sweetheart, you lost what little you had left of your integrity about 15 minutes ago."

Damon bent down beside her and picked up something. Elena could feel her blood run cold. He was holding her recorder. He must've seen her shock, because he grinned, exposing his perfectly, white teeth to her. She'd never seen him look more gorgeous, or more dangerous.

"Give it back," Elena said slowly.

Damon gazed at the recorder, then back at her, obviously pleased with himself. "I wonder...Did my very own Ace Reporter keep a little souvenir from our last tryst?"

He clicked play. After about 20 seconds of her moaning out his name, he pressed stop, looking smug. She pounced on him, trying to get the recorder back, only for him to hold it up high above his head.

"Give it!" She yelled.

He waggled his eyebrows at her playfully. "Now, now, Lenny, play nice."

"You're the one who took it from me!" She retorted. All of a sudden, she had a terrible urge to stick her tongue out, despite the gravity of her situation.

"It's only fair, you're the one who decided to record our sweet lovemaking," He said, gazing at her dreamily to add to the joke.

Elena made a gagging sound. "Ugh, just give it back."

He pressed the button on the wall and the elevator started moving once more. "Sorry, this is leverage. Either you come on the tour, or I leak this."

She looked at him incredulously. "Seriously? You'd risk your reputation just to make me miserable?"

He smirked. "Baby, I'm a rock star. If I'm not screwing gullible reporters, I'm doing it wrong. Thanks for helping me see that by the way, you're a real treasure."

Elena wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Her crappy day had turned into a legitimate disaster. He had her. She couldn't let him release the audio. No matter what it did to his reputation, it would surely ruin hers for good.

The elevator doors opened and Damon walked out, skipping comically. He turned to face her and waved the recorder at her.

"See you in 3 days. Oh and by the way, you're not a bad writer. You just lack perspective."

Elena shook her head and stared at her, feeling too tired to care. "And you can give me that?"

He shrugged. "I guess we'll see."

With that, he turned around and left her standing in the middle of the open elevator. With shaky fingers, she grabbed her phone from her purse and dialed Jeremy's number. She was thankful to reach his voicemail, not feeling mentally capable of holding up a entire conversation.

"Hey, Jer. I'm really sorry, but I can't pick you up right now, something came up at work. I'll see you at home, okay? Bye."

She sighed and put her phone back in her bag. In 3 days, she was going to become a glorified groupie for an egomaniac rock star against her will. She winced.

Life really wasn't fair.

* * *

><p>AN: Ha! I told you guys I was going to continue it xD Thank you so much for all your encouraging reviews. This story is way out of my comfort zone (well, all of my stories are since I'm such a newbie) so the support meant a lot to the insecure writer inside me :) I'm not sure when I'll update next, it might be a while since I'm currently trying to finish IYCAM (my other story) ASAP so I can focus on this one exclusively :) Hope you guys liked this chapter, do review and I'll throw imaginary cookies out for you! Yeah, I guess that's only funny to the few IYCAM readers who read my AN's, just ignore me xD Have a great week!<p>

P.S. This is my 4th update in the span of a week. *Waits for applause* Okay, stunned silence will work just as well...

(I've been eating a lot of ice cream, I can't be held accountable for the insane drivel that I type!)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p>Elena tried to shield the phone from the obscenely loud music coming from the entertainment room, or "The ER" as it was dubbed. "Yeah, Jer, things have been good."<p>

"Really? Is that why it sounds like someone soundtracked the apocalypse?"

She winced. She really was a terrible liar, and Jeremy had a knack for catching her every single time.

"It's not that bad. Most of the time I just wear earplugs. It turns the sound from a pig slaughter to a cat being drowned."

She heard Jeremy laughing on the other end. "I knew you'd be miserable! Tell me again, why did you take this job?"

Because I'm being blackmailed by a deranged sex god who's currently freelancing as a Cobain wannabe, her mind supplied.

"I don't know, for the experience," She tried. "Plus, all my expenses are covered and I don't even need to make this into a puff piece."

"Any rock stars come on to you yet?"

"Jeremy!" Elena chastised him. "Where the hell did that come from?"

He chuckled. "I was just wondering, seeing as you are the newest addition to their family of groupies..."

"I'm not a groupie." Elena firmly corrected him. "Besides, most of them are bunking in the second bus."

It was true. Two days into the tour, Elena hadn't gotten to know almost anyone. She'd met Stefan, the band's manager and Damon's younger brother on the first day, and he'd quickly familiarized her on their routine. She was hit with flashbacks of the very moment.

_As she approached the first chrome-colored monstrosity, she started feeling nervous for the first time. She wasn't nervous about the tour itself, but about seeing Damon. What did he even expect of her? She wasn't going to sleep with him again! She hoped it wouldn't come up, though knowing him..._

_Elena stood before the larger of the two buses, unsure of what to do. Was she supposed to knock? Before she could make an educated guess, the doors opened, and a man with spiked, honey-colored hair walked out. As she looked him over, she immediately recognized him as the man who'd chased Damon's blonde floozie at their first New York gig. _

"_Hey," He said, waving at her awkwardly._

_She raised an eyebrow. Clad in a leather jacket, skinny jeans, and a pair of combat boots, he had no right to sound so unsure of himself. _

_Elena waved back at him sarcastically. "Hey,"_

_The man looked down, his hazel eyes suddenly filled with discomfort, and Elena actually felt bad for him. Why was she being such a bitch? Just because Damon had wronged her, didn't mean she had the right to take it out on others._

_She sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm being so rude. I'm Elena."_

_The young man looked back up with a new spark in his eyes. "I'm Stefan..."_

_She smirked. "Damon's brother, 22 years old. You graduated Magna Cum Laude from Yale with a degree in business, only to become a manager to your brother's band. How'd that happen?"_

_He chuckled. "Looks like I don't have to fill you in after all. To answer your question, I wanted to help out."_

"_That's noble of you. Playing big brother to your big brother just so he can practice his stage diving." Elena noted dryly. She had no qualms about being rude when it came to Damon._

_He shook his head, amused. "It isn't that bad. I like the freedom it brings me."_

"_How so?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to decipher his words._

_Stefan shrugged. "Damon lets me do whatever I want, as long as it's good for business. Thanks for convincing him to bring you along, I owe you big time for that."_

_Elena looked at him in shock. "I did what?"_

"_He told us you gave him an incentive of some kind...?" Stefan seemed to appear more and more confused._

_Elena felt her cheeks grow red. "Yeah, I just gave him a speech about how important this article is, and the exposure it'll bring him."_

_Stefan smiled happily, and Elena didn't know if she felt worse for lying, or worse for him being gullible enough to believe her. He was like...A cartoon character, too innocent for his own good. How he shared DNA with Damon, she would never know._

"_Great!" He said. "Let me take you inside, I'll introduce you to the crew. Here, I can take your bags."_

_Elena let him take them for her, her arms hurting after carrying them for a while. She followed him up the stairs, until they reached a long, wide passage. Her eyes widened. She'd had no idea how spacious the bus truly was. _

_She immediately picked up on the differences between a normal bus and their tour bus. She spotted a few foam mattresses, and several couches for lounging around, where the bus seats were supposed to be. She also paid attention to the closed doors she could see surrounding her on both sides._

"_How can you guys afford these things?" She asked, unable to resist._

_Stefan smiled as he urged her to follow him. "I can drive a decent bargain."_

_She rolled her eyes. At first glance, the man walking ahead of her was quite possibly the least argumentative individual she'd ever met. He was like a mix between Gandhi and a Care Bear. "I'll bet."_

"_This is our common space," He motioned to the bean bags, couches, and mattresses lying around on the sides. "See those doors on the right side? Small bedrooms. On the right, is the bathroom."_

"_Wow." Elena said, taking in the grungy, but vast interior. It was like she'd stepped into Wonderland, or possibly a Harry Potter novel. _

"_Come on, the guys are in the entertainment room," He said, pointing to the door right at the end of common space. _

_Elena cringed. She had no interest in meeting them. If they were anything like Damon...She shook the thought out of her head and steeled herself. As they reached the end of the passage, Stefan pushed the door open. Elena cringed as she was suddenly met with a large stench of alcohol._

Elena rolled her eyes at the memory. Stefan had introduced her to the other three band members that day, who had been engaged in a heated Halo match. The Lockwoods, Tyler and Mason, played guitar and bass respectively. She'd read several articles about them in advance, describing them as unpredictable with short tempers. What that meant was that they'd both stacked up long criminal records.

Elijah Smith, the band's drummer, was gearing up to be her favorite of the bunch. He was quiet, well-mannered, and always dressed impeccably. She'd greeted each of the men, with Elijah being the only one to shake her hand. She'd appreciated the sign of equality. To her relief, he didn't seem to share the violent streak of the Lockwoods. She hadn't interacted much with any of them afterwards, not that she minded.

"Elena?" Jeremy asked on the other end.

"Yeah?" She was roused back into reality.

"I was just wondering, why aren't you on the other bus?" Jeremy inquired.

"I guess they figured I'd be more comfortable on this one," Elena guessed.

It was a good question, really, one that she'd asked Stefan herself. He'd looked uncomfortable for a moment, before telling her that the other bus was full. She hadn't felt like complaining, seeing as the other bus was filled with instruments, random skanks, and well, the Lockwoods. She shuddered, imagining everything that went down over there.

Then again, she was now sharing a bus with the Salvatores and their blonde chew toy, Caroline. She hadn't talked to the other woman yet, though she and Stefan had caught her and Damon making out on the first day. Stefan had immediately shut the bedroom door on them, with something akin to apathy in his hazel eyes.

Elena wasn't sure who was responsible for it, but Caroline was now sleeping in the room right beside hers, a fact that had caused her to wear earplugs even at nights. She wasn't bothered by Damon having sex with random women, she just didn't need to hear it for a lullaby each night.

She hadn't talked to Damon once yet, which was an oddity in itself. Then again, she'd also skipped their first concert in New Jersey, not wanting to...well, face the music yet. The last time she'd heard Damon sing, he'd hypnotized her with his sheer stage presence. Now, after sleeping with him twice, she couldn't afford to be that vulnerable around him. She needed to get a grip. Lucky for her, he preferred to spend his time getting drunk in the ER, rather than harass her.

"Anyway, what's going on with you?" Elena decided to change the topic. "How are things with Alaric and Isobel?"

She could almost hear her brother shrug over the phone. "Things are going okay. They keep shoving food at me, as if they think I'll die of starvation."

Elena giggled. "They don't have kids of their own, this is a big deal for them."

"Yeah, yeah." Jeremy sounded bored. "Listen, I gotta go meet with, uhh, a friend, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

She pouted. Jeremy was a great distraction from reality. "Okay, I should probably get some work done anyways."

"If any of the guys give you a hard time, let them know you have a brother," Jeremy said, trying to sound threatening.

"I love you too, Jer," She couldn't help, but smile.

Elena put her phone beside her on to the couch, and picked up her laptop. She was still stuck on trying to find the perfect title for her first article. "Reporter's foray into casual sex with men who wear too much guyliner"? That wouldn't work.

Before she could further ponder the issue, someone fell down on to the couch, only inches away from her. Elena took a deep breath, before glancing to the side and spotting blonde curls haphazardly covering a giggling face. Caroline.

Caroline tucked her hair back and sat up properly, holding a red cup in her hand. Dressed in a leather mini dress, with red boots, the other woman looked stunning.

"Your name's Ellen, right?" She asked, sounding as if she'd had more than enough to drink for one night.

Elena took another deep breath. Did she look like a freaking Ellen? "No, it's Elena, actually,"

"Oh good!" Caroline sighed in relief, astounding the brunette next to her. "I could never be friends with someone who had such a boring name. I would've had to call you Elly or Len, or something cool like that."

Elena couldn't help but wonder if the blonde had enjoyed more than just alcohol that night. The thought of them being friends hadn't crossed her mind once. She had, however, imagined several scenarios that ended in Caroline stabbing her with a switchblade in jealous rage.

"And Caroline is the most bad ass name of them all?" Elena raised an eyebrow.

The other girl shook her head. "It's not, but I don't need a cool name to be amazing. You, on the other hand, need a serious makeover..."

Elena cringed. She got the feeling that in Caroline's head, her statement didn't even count as an insult.

Sensing her shock, Caroline gasped. "Oh shit, I didn't offend you, did I? Cause I do that, it seems to be a thing."

"No, not at all," Elena said tightly. "I'm just a little curious..."

"'Bout what?" Caroline immediately asked.

"I don't know...You haven't said a word to me since we hit the road, and now we're apparently two gigs away from being besties?"

Caroline smirked and pointed at her cup. "I wasn't drunk enough before. You're quite scary, you know that?"

She hadn't known. "What do you mean by that?"

Caroline shrugged, bouncing happily in her seat. "It's hard to explain, you're just so...In your own zone, that's it! Like you hate people or something. Whenever you're not in your room, you're sitting in this spot, typing away like a sexually repressed librarian. Though even they have better fashion sense, seriously, where did you get that skirt?"

Elena looked down, ashamed by both her ho-hum appearance and her past behavior. She had been keeping away from the others, mainly because she had no clue how to act around them. Everything was a party to them, she didn't know how to connect to any of them.

"I do that, huh?" Elena asked, frowning slightly.

Caroline nodded eagerly. "Damon and Stefan were just talking about you in the ER. I think Damon described you as 'the love child of a Terminator and the Wicked Witch of The West'."

"I'm surprised the asshole was witty enough to come up with that," Elena muttered, only afterwards realizing that she'd just slammed Damon in front of his girlfriend. She quickly scooted down the couch, not wanting to get stabbed in the throat.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "He's a dick, isn't he?"

Elena felt her jaw hit the floor. "Wait, why aren't you defending him?"

"Why should I?" Caroline scrunched up her face, seemingly confused.

"Because you're his girlfriend?" Elena tried explaining the situation to the drunken blonde.

Caroline snorted. "Why the fuck would you think I'd ever date him?"

Elena looked at her pointedly. "I think the fact that whenever I see you two, you're attached by the lips, speaks for itself."

Caroline made a 'pfft' sound and waved her hand lazily. "Just because we fuck for sport, doesn't mean we're in any way serious."

Elena perked up. This was stuff she could use for her article. "So he just uses you?"

"I wouldn't say it's that bad. I get to follow my favorite band around, party like an animal, and have crazy monkey sex with a guy who has the biggest..."

"Okay, I see," Elena cut in at the last minute. She was already suffering from some highly inappropriate dreams, she didn't need to be reminded of the subject matter when she was awake.

"Prude." Caroline stated, pouting. "I swear, you and Stefan have got to start a club."

Elena was regretting leaving her recorder in her tiny room. "What's his story? He seems nicer than Damon, but he's so quiet and reserved."

"No shit," Caroline giggled. "Stefan is beyond weird. I actually think he's gay, I haven't seen him hit on a girl since I met them like 6 months ago. All he does is work. This one time, I caught him staring at me super intensely, and then he came up to me and told me I had pretty shoes! And then he just walked away! What is up with that?"

Elena had a hunch, but she wasn't feeling very charitable. "Maybe he wants to go shopping with you! I mean, if he is in the closet, he could use a good friend like you."

Caroline nodded, thinking it over. "You might be right. I need to be a little nicer to him. I know, once we reach Philly, I'll take both of you to my favorite vintage store! It'll be so much fun! I can give you a makeover, show Stefan how to dress for that manorexic figure of his, it'll be awesome!"

Elena cringed, assuming their definitions for fun were slightly different. "It sounds great, it really does."

Caroline clapped her hands together, excited. "Yay! I'm so glad I came and talked to you. You're not that scary, you're just a little blah."

Elena plastered an awkward smile on to her face. "Thanks...I guess?"

Caroline jumped up suddenly. "I need to pee. Don't leave."

As soon as the other girl entered the bathroom, Elena grabbed her laptop and made a run for it. As soon as she was in her room, she closed the door, and gasped as she turned around.

"What the hell, Damon?" She hissed.

There, lying on her bed, was the object of her wildest fantasies, clad in a pair of black jeans and nothing else. He grinned at her goofily, clearly drunk out of his mind.

"Surprise," He said, laughing a bit, in a way that was almost cute to her ears.

Elena placed her laptop on to her bag and crossed her arms. "Get out."

He sat up lazily, slouching, and opened his arms. "No, you get in."

Elena walked over to him, in an attempt to pull him up, only for him to take matters into his own hands, and pull her into his lap. She tried to wriggle out of his lap, tired of constantly straddling her arch nemesis, but his grip on her hips remained firm. She punched his chest repeatedly with her tiny fists, but he just laughed at her gruffly.

"Have I ever told you how fucking beautiful you are?" He asked, petting her hair clumsily with one hand.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Tell me then, what's my name?"

He furrowed his eyebrows, concentrating on the problem at hand. "It starts with a D..."

Elena groaned. "You are unbelievable. We had sex twice and you still can't remember 5 freaking letters?"

"Calm down," He laughed, "I was just kidding, Elise."

Elena gave him her best withering stare, and Damon pouted. "No one appreciates my jokes these days."

"Tell them to someone who cares, like Caroline. I'm sure she'd love it if you called her Carla." Elena said, her words laced with sarcasm.

He chuckled and placed his head in the crook of her neck. Despite her earlier promises, she found herself leaning into him a bit. "I think you're right, and that's fucking scary."

Damon moved the collar of her shirt down and started placing open-mouthed kisses on her neck. Elena wasn't sure if it was due to his words or his actions, that her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"Is the thought of me being right really that ridiculous?" She managed to gasp out, as she started shivering all over.

She got goosebumps as he started laughing against her heated skin. "It is, doll, but that's not the scary part. What's scary is how I can do anything to Caroline and she'll just come back asking for more."

Elena punched him, trying to push him back, but he just held on to her tighter. "So what, you get your kicks from playing God with little girls who are too insecure to tell you to shove it?"

He grinned at her wolfishly. "Nah. I like playing with you, you're not as predictable as the rest of them. Granted, you are way more fucked in the head than most, but it's a welcome change really..."

"So you got bored?" Elena asked skeptically.

He nodded, as seriously as he could. "I did."

"And now you want me to have sex with you so you won't be as bored?" She prodded further.

"I do." He answered simply.

"Oh, go to hell." Elena groaned. "And while you're at it, let me down."

"Don't wanna," He muttered and clutched her waist, and she wasn't sure if his words were more to himself or to her.

"Too bad," Elena said and yanked on his hair hard.

"Ow!" He yelled and grabbed her hand. While they were struggling for dominance, he lost his balance and ended up rolling on to the floor, with her on top of him.

Damon quickly composed himself and flashed her a smile. "Well, I figured we'd go for the bed first, but you do seem fond of riding me on the floor..."

Elena pushed herself up and smoothed the creases off her skirt. To his visible surprise, she extended her hand to him. He quickly took it and she pulled him up.

When they were face to face, Elena once again took him by surprise, by wrapping her arms around his naked waist, bringing his body close to hers. She stood on her tiptoes, and breathed into his ear.

"Damon..." She purred.

He was quiet for a moment. "Yeah?"

Elena brought her tongue out and tasted the salty skin of his earlobe, choosing to nibble on it. She grinned as he shivered in her arms. "I think we need to set some ground rules."

"Anything..." He whispered, his voice heavy with implication.

Elena rolled her eyes. He was beyond easy. She grabbed his hair once and more, yanking his head back. He yelped in pain, before backing away from her.

"What the fuck?" He yelled.

"That was your first warning. The next time I tell you to get your hands off me, you'll do it, understood? I'm here to write a truly godawful assessment of you and your dumb band, but don't push me, or you'll think my first article was a rave review." Elena said, flashing her chocolate eyes at him dangerously.

Damon pet his head and glared at her. "You really are a bitch, aren't you?"

Elena looked at him. "Compared to you, I'm a saint."

"Here I am, out of the goodness of my heart, offering my body away..." Damon slurred, sounding offended.

"My heart bleeds for you. Now get out of my room before I introduce you to a crafty little device I like to call a rape whistle."

His eyes widened, before he approached her. He tried to bring his hand to her face, but she grabbed it and shoved it back to him.

Damon sighed. "Like I said, you're unpredictable. It really is a compliment of the highest order, Sweetheart."

"And why should I care?" Elena whispered, looking deep into his unfocused blue eyes.

He looked down at her. "Why pretend like you don't? You're so caught up in your notions of right and wrong, that you're completely ignoring what you really want. What you crave. What you **need**."

Elena felt her breath hitch. The way he looked, his lips plump, his hair messy from her hands...It was downright sinful, and she knew he was right.

"So what? You're so caught up wanting things, that you've completely lost sight of what is and isn't right." Elena said, not breaking eye contact with him.

"And us having sex on every hard surface isn't, I take it?" He asked.

"No, Damon," Elena sighed, feeling as if she was talking to a toddler, "It isn't."

Damon nodded in understanding, before smirking at her dangerously. He leaned down, close to her ear, and whispered, "No wonder it's so much fun then."

Elena cursed herself for shaking under his scrutiny. He moved away from her and opened the door. "Bye, Elena Miranda Gilbert."

She looked at him in shock. "How did you...?"

"Know your full name?" He finished her sentence for her cockily. "I know lots of things about you, courtesy of Google and a few other nifty websites. Speaking of, do you still have your cheerleader uniform, because..."

Elena glared at him and Damon raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, no one's in the mood tonight. If you'll excuse me, I have a blonde joke that I think Caroline is just dying to hear..."

With that, he left her alone with her thoughts. Elena sighed, wishing once again that she was back home, happily tucked away in her own bed. She sighed and sat down on the bed. What the hell was wrong with her lately? Despite her best efforts, she felt drawn to him, as if they were magnets, destined to collide. She took a deep breath. It was over now.

Whatever sick little game she'd been playing with Damon Salvatore was over. For good.

* * *

><p>AN: Woot! Finished another chapter! Sorry for not updating yesterday...I was drunk. And out of ice cream. Not a good combo :p Anyway, short time jump in this chapter! There'll be more of those, seeing as I'm not planning on making this into a very long fic...Damon's POV is coming :) I think. Unless I change my mind. Cause I can. Okay, just ignore me, I'm loopy since it's 5am :) Thanks again for all your reviews, I cracked up reading them! *Throws cookies to amazing readers* Have an amazing week, you guys! xoxo<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p><em>He couldn't wait any longer. As she was walking through the crowded dance floor, he pulled into a dark corner. She collided against his chest, creating delicious friction between their bodies.<em>

"_Damon, what the hell are you..." Elena sighed, sounding weary._

_He cut her off by kissing her fiercely, pushing her further away from prying eyes. After a moment's hesitation, Elena sank into him and kissed him back, before starting to punch his chest with her fists once more. _

"_Damon, I'm serious, cut it out!" She hissed._

_He trailed a hand down her side, caressing the texture of her modest black cami. He brought his finger to her collar bone, causing her to shiver as he lightly traced her bare skin._

"_I love your clothes, you know. They're always so conservative, and I can just...Unwrap you." He purred against her ear, pressing her back against the wall._

"_Damon...Don't. This'll only make things more complicated." Elena whispered, looking at him desperately._

_He shook his head. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but they've been complicated ever since the day I met you."_

_He saw Elena look at his lips, before licking her lips with her perfectly pink tongue. She looked back up at him, nodding shakily. "That's true."_

"_Glad we finally agree on something, Princess." _

_Elena cursed heatedly, before grabbing him by the neck and pulling him in for another kiss. He grinned against her lips. _

"_Is there...a...room we can..."_

_Damon grabbed her hand and lead her to a door at the back of the room. It was times like these when he was more than happy to perform at clubs with ample storage space._

_Once they were safely inside the smaller room, he placed her on a small table, before getting to work on her pants. One by one, he popped the buttons off, until he managed to pull her pants down her slender thighs completely. _

_Elena pulled his t-shirt over his head, and caressed the firm planes of his lower back. He responded by running his hands up to her hips, swiftly tugging down her black panties. Elena shuddered, before doing the same thing to his pants, and grasping his hard, aching cock. _

_Damon groaned as she moved her hand up and down his length. He slowly walked between her legs and ran his cock down her wet slit, making sure to hit her clit as he went. Elena moaned, before placing a hand on his to stop him._

"_What are we doing?" She asked._

"_What we want." He stated seriously. "I want you. Can you honestly tell me that you don't want me?"_

_Elena shook her head and looked at him, guilt etched across her face. "I can't."_

_Damon smiled at her gently. "It's okay. Just let yourself feel good."_

_With that, he thrust into her, enjoying the way her scream was swallowed by the pounding music. Elena wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him closer to her. He started driving into her harder and faster._

_She moaned, bringing her hips up to meet his punishing movements. He took in a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of being inside her. She couldn't have fit him more perfectly._

"_Damon..." She moaned into his ear, as he pounded into her hard._

_Lost in the moment, he tore off her shirt and played with her breasts, nipping the skin with his teeth. He grinned, realizing he was marking her. Elena responded by clawing at his back, as their bodies collided together, over and over in sweet agony._

_Slowly, he could feel her muscles start to clench around his cock, and he knew she was close. _

"_Tell me you want me," He said, grasping her hair._

_She smirked. "I want you...Danny."_

_He groaned. He'd tasted his own medicine, and boy was it bitter. "Say my name, or I'm not gonna let you come like a good girl."_

_He proved his point by stopping inside of her. Elena tried to move her hips against his, whining at the lack of friction. _

"_Fine. I want you...Damon."_

_Damon smirked. "See? Was that so hard?"_

"_Damon, I swear to God, if you don't..." Elena paused for a moan, as he drove himself home inside of her. "Never mind then."_

_It wasn't long before he had her gasping for breath once more. Her inner muscles started to contract around him, squeezing him deliciously. He growled as she came around him violently, milking his release out of him as well. _

"_Damon!" She screamed hard._

* * *

><p>"Damon!" He woke up to his brother pounding on his door. "Get up, you moron, you've been sleeping for 12 hours!"<p>

He looked up from his bed with sleepy eyes and groaned. "Fuck off, Stefan, I'm sleeping."

"You better be ready to talk in 30 minutes, or I'll bust down this door and..."

"Oh don't even, you couldn't hurt a fly." Damon rolled his eyes at his brother's empty threats.

He heard Stefan swear on the other side of the door, before stalking off. Damon let his head drop back against his pillow. He couldn't focus on Stefan, not when he'd just experienced what was possibly the most vividly erotic sex dream of his life. Centered around the one person he wasn't supposed to fantasize about.

Not fantasize, it was clearly a nightmare, he thought. It had to have been. If it was a fantasy, she would've been a little less violent, and possibly equipped with slightly larger breasts. He felt like punching something.

It wasn't enough that the bitch tormented him every time they crossed paths in the bus, now she was

haunting him in his sleep! Two weeks into the tour, he was regretting ever bringing her along. God, what had he been thinking? Of course Damon knew the answer to his question.

"_I'm not sure if you noticed, but they've been complicated ever since the day I met you."_ The words he'd uttered in his dream kept coming back to him. It was true. He'd been watching her, that night at The Black Death. She'd looked so lost and out of place, it had amused him greatly.

Then she'd looked him straight into his eyes, appearing to see straight into his soul. Without even knowing what he was doing, he'd dedicated that stupid song to her, just to mess with her. She'd surprised him afterwards. Instead of cowering down from him, she'd stood up to him in front of all his friends. That took some serious guts, something he could respect.

The sex, of course, was amazing. Not the best he'd ever had by any means, but there was something about her innocence that was incredibly alluring. She was corruptable, he could bring her out of her stuck-up shell. The rush he got whenever she gave into him...

Except she didn't, not anymore. Ever since she'd kicked him out of her room at the beginning of their tour, she'd given him nothing but smart ass remarks and glares. One night, she'd even recited some choice quotes she'd written about him, giving his whole crew a great big laugh. It was annoying, being humiliated at a daily basis. Did he have it coming? Probably.

He didn't even know why he was being such an asshole to her. He wasn't normally as bad, there was just something so satisfying about making her blush, or seeing that fire get lit in her normally docile eyes. She was something new, something so very different to him. It was as if she wasn't scared of him, but of the way he effected her on a primal level.

And now he couldn't stop thinking about her. He didn't like her, he just found her to be annoying. They had great chemistry together, and she knew it, but now she was psyching herself out again. What was wrong with mixing business with a little bit of pleasure? They were never going to become serious, was it so hard for her to let her hair down for once?

Damon rolled his eyes. He'd fallen asleep on her after having sex with her, blackmailed her right after fucking her at her workplace, and waved his groupies in front of her face. Why was he even wondering why she wasn't falling all over herself for him? What a fucking champ he was. Well, some of it was circumstantial, he argued.

He hadn't slept with Caroline for the past few weeks. He just hadn't felt like it. The only reason Caroline was even on their bus was because of Stefan's adorably sickening puppy love for her. She was nice and much too willing to please him, but it was...dull. He groaned as he realized that he was becoming one of those guys who had everything, yet wanted the one thing they couldn't have.

Elena was a challenge. He never knew how she'd react to him. Well, lately she had been much too consistent with freezing him out. She even listened to her iPod at his concerts, wanting to avoid hearing his music. It was upsetting. Normally, all he had to do was flash his eyes at a girl, but she was having none of it.

Maybe she was the problem. She was too uptight for anyone, let alone him. His whole fascination with her was probably just linked to him wanting to break her, instead of actually wanting her. Yes, it was really that simple, he thought. He looked down at the tent in his pants. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that simple.

After taking a much too long shower, he was finally sitting across from Stefan in the ER. He rubbed his temples, as his brother droned on and on about venues and figures, which he had no interest in. All he wanted, all he'd ever wanted, was to make music. All that came with it were just fringe perks.

"Are you even listening to me?" Stefan sighed.

"Of course I'm not." Damon raised an eyebrow at him.

Stefan sat back on the couch and closed his eyes. "Why do I bother with you?"

"Because I'm your brother, you're a good person at heart, and you get to determine your own cut." Damon listed.

A corner of Stefan's mouth twitched upwards. "Those are all very true."

Damon smirked at him. "Come on then, baby brother, what did I miss?"

Stefan looked his papers over. "Nothing that I can't handle actually, I just wanted to drag your ass out of bed."

"Remind me, how many gigs do we have scheduled for the next 6 weeks?" Damon asked.

"About 25, give or take. We got a lot of great publicity through Elena's article, it seems like everyone just wants to see if you're as bad as she described you as." Stefan chuckled.

Damon glared at him. It sure was a treat that her stupid article had turned him from a musician into a circus freak. "I'm glad you think it's so funny, Stef."

"Hey, if her bashing you is the way to get the public to actually listen to you sing, I'm game for her writing a hundred pieces just like that." His brother shrugged.

"Hey, I'd rather make it on my own than listen to that bitch run her mouth one more night." Damon said.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "She's not that bad and you know it, Damon. You're just pissed because someone's finally treating you the way you deserve to be treated."

Damon threw a pillow at him. "I'm really feeling the love here, Stefan."

Stefan grinned at him. "I'm sorry, but I saw the way you treated her when we first met her, and that was only for a few minutes. I'm guessing you only made it worse later on by being your jackass of a self."

"Who threw the first stone is irrelevant," Damon waved a hand.

"Especially since it was you," Stefan retorted. "Elena seems like a sweet girl, but she also has backbone. The more you push her, the more ammo you give her."

He thought about what his brother was saying. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way. Maybe if he tried being nice to her for once...No, she'd see right through that. Why couldn't she be dumb like the rest of them? His life really was just a series of obstacles.

"Whatever, she's stupid." Damon muttered.

Stefan dropped the papers on to the table and looked at him suspiciously. After a moment, his expression changed from suspicious to plain shocked. "Stupid, Damon? Oh no...Don't tell me you did, Damon. You did, didn't you?"

Damon winced, looking apologetic. "I really don't give you nearly enough credit for your intelligence."

"This isn't funny, Damon. No wonder she hates you, if you treat her the way you treat the rest of them," Stefan said seriously.

"It takes two to tango." Damon quipped. "We had great sex together, if she expected something more, that's her problem."

Stefan shook his head. "You're the one constantly harassing her. At least I now know why."

"And why do you think I "harass" her?" He asked sarcastically. Seriously though, he was welcoming all theories by now.

"Because you're upset that you can't treat her like dirt and still have her make moon eyes at you. Must be upsetting," Stefan sighed sarcastically.

"I'm not upset. I'm irritated because she's making a big deal out of something so small," He whined.

"It's a big deal to some people. It can't help that you act so nonchalant about it. I knew I couldn't trust anything with a skirt around you," Stefan muttered.

"Why, because of Caroline?" He raised an eyebrow.

Stefan shook his head, glaring at him. "Don't go there. Caroline has nothing to do with this."

"I haven't slept with her since we hit the road, Stefan."

"I don't want to hear it, Damon." Stefan muttered.

"Really? Maybe you should. You pass judgment on my life daily, and I'm not allowed to comment on yours?"

Stefan ran a hand through his spiked locks. "I told you, I don't want to talk about this with you."

Damon stood up and went to the wet bar to fix himself a scotch. He rolled his eyes. There was no hostility between them when it came to Caroline, as they'd went through the situation countless times.

"I'm just saying, the only reason I ever made a move on her was to get you to fight for something you wanted, just once in your life. And you didn't. You make googly eyes at her from across the room, while she has no idea you're even there. At least I do something with my life, you're scared of taking chances. That's just as bad."

"I'm not hurting other people, Damon." Stefan sighed.

"Neither am I, at least not intentionally," He shrugged as he took a sip of his drink, "But you're hurting yourself, and worst of all, you could stop it."

"If Caroline wants to be with you, I'm not gonna stand in the way of that,"

"But we're not together!" Damon wanted to wring his neck. "And the poor little girl just wants someone to love her, and we both know it's never going to be me."

Stefan chuckled wryly. "I'm glad we agree on something."

Damon smirked. "You should listen to your big brother more often. Look, between you and me, I'm only using Caroline to piss Elena off, I don't want anything from her...At least not right now. If you want her, do something about it, before someone else does."

Stefan looked up and sighed. "I don't know if I should be more horrified or disgusted, but really, this has you written all over it."

"Glad you're over scolding me for being myself," Damon grinned.

Stefan smiled at him disbelievingly. "This isn't you, Damon. The sooner you realize that, the...Well, I think you're already starting to. Despite how disgusting I'm beginning to find both of you, I think she's good for you. You might learn something valuable here."

He rolled his eyes, too accustomed to Stefan's grand speeches. "Yeah, I don't know about that. All I know is that I really wanna f..."

"And that would be my cue to leave, before I really do need to pummel you to death," Stefan cut him off and stood up in a haste.

"...Find a way to get along with her better." Damon glared at him. "You really do think the worst of me, don't you?"

"Yes, and we both know you're so full of shit," Stefan sighed and walked over to the door. "Could you just try to not make her feel bad?"

"Oh but on the contrary, I'll make her feel so good..."

Stefan ran out of the room, covering his ears.

* * *

><p>"Look at them." Caroline sneered in Damon's direction. "How could she drape herself over him like that? God, trashy much?"<p>

Elena looked up from her book. One of the groupies, Elise, was sitting in Damon's lap, playing with his hair. She frowned. Sure, she was nice to look at, with her fiery red hair and amazing body, but Elena would never understand why women fawned over him. His personality did not match his looks, that was for sure.

Damon pushed her off him and walked away, with the girl stalking off angrily. Caroline giggled lightly, nudging Elena.

"See that? That's what I love, seeing him brush off those bitches."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't he do that to **everyone**?"

Caroline got the hint and looked down, visibly embarrassed. "It's different with us, we're more like friends. I know he'll never want anything with me, but at least I know he doesn't want anyone else like that either."

Elena smiled at her gently. Over the past few weeks, she'd somehow managed to bond with the ditzy blonde. She had to admit, while Caroline was flighty and insensitive at times, she also had a lot of heart.

"As long as you're okay with it." She shrugged. "I don't think I could ever share..."

"Come on, Elena, when was your last relationship?"

"6 months ago." She said.

Caroline looked at her, amused. "And how long did it last?"

Elena grimaced. "7 years."

"Fucking hell!" Caroline yelled. "What is the matter with you?"

Elena punched the blonde's shoulder. "Well, when you put it like that..."

"I'm just saying, it's time for you to get some. And not just steamy, hot sex, but some freaking life experience. How do you even know who you are?" Caroline shrugged, raising her hands in surrender.

"And you know who you are?" Elena asked, looking for cracks in her cocky exterior.

Caroline smirked. "Sure I do. I'm Caroline Forbes, age 22. I look like an angel, behave like the devil, and have a shitload more fun than you ever have, or probably ever will."

Elena sighed. "And what do you suppose I do about it?"

"Stop acting like everything is so black and white. Have fun. Try things. Let loose. It's the only way you'll ever get to know yourself, by testing your limits."

Elena frowned. Maybe she'd been spending too much time around bongs, but that actually made sense to her. She'd dated Matt forever and where had that gotten her? Absolutely nowhere. Maybe this tour was exactly what she needed.

"What do you suppose I do then?" She had no clue where to start.

Just as Caroline was about to open her mouth, she looked forward and gasped. "Oh you have got to be kidding me! It's not enough to go after one brother, she has to have the other one as well?"

Elena turned to look in the direction Caroline was glaring at, and chuckled. There, cornered next to the door to the ER, was Stefan. He was pressed up against the wall by a busty redhead, who'd just minutes before been doing the same thing to his brother.

Stefan's eyes glanced around for help. "Listen, Elise, you're...great, but this is all just very sudden. And also, you smell. Well, of alcohol, and I wouldn't want to take advan..."

The girl, Elise, pressed a finger to his lips. "Shh, it's okay. You're cute. How about we go somewhere a little more private?"

Stefan shut his eyes. "I really don't know how to say this in a way that you'll understand...Not that I think you're dumb, I just..."

Caroline looked at the scene before her in exasperation. "Oh for the love of Cobain!"

She stormed over there, and pushed the redhead off Stefan. "Listen, skank, he doesn't bat for your team..."

Stefan looked confused. "Redheads?"

Caroline waved a hand, signalling for him to shut up. "And even if he did, I'm sure he wouldn't go for you. Get out, before I throw you out."

Elise raised her hands before starting to back away from them. "Calm down, you psychotic bitch."

"Oh I'll show you psychotic..." Stefan grabbed Caroline by the waist to prevent her from making a bigger scene. "That's right, you better run!"

Elena rolled her eyes as she walked over to them. She had to admit, this was the most fun she'd ever had on a story.

"Thank you, Caroline," Stefan sighed in relief.

Caroline smiled at him happily. "Oh don't worry, sweetie. She won't bother you again."

Elena stifled a laugh as she saw Stefan blush at his new nickname. Caroline pointed at both of them.

"I know what we're gonna do today, you guys." She smirked devilishly.

Elena and Stefan looked at her blankly until she slapped both of them. "I'm giving you guys makeovers! Duh!"

"I don't know about that..." Elena fought to find the right words.

"I mean, we have a long drive tomorrow and the gig at Hartford..." Stefan continued.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Come on, it'll be so amazing! Elena will stop looking like a Stepford wife, Stefan will finally start sending out the correct signals...Please, I'm begging you!"

Elena and Stefan looked at each other in horror. Caroline sighed.

"Fine. I never liked you guys anyways," She pouted.

Elena rolled her eyes at her immature attempt at emotional blackmail. She glanced at Stefan, and saw him hesitate.

"Well...Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to go shopping." He conceded.

Caroline started jumping up and down, clapping her hands together. "I knew I could count on you, Stefan! Now I just need to get this sourpuss to come along."

Elena sighed with a smile. "Peer pressure is a dangerous thing."

* * *

><p>"Come on, Elena, stop tugging at it! You'll stretch the fabric," Caroline whined, as they were finally dressed in their new clothes.<p>

Elena glared at her. "That was the whole point."

Dressed in an oversized Guns 'N Roses T-shirt, and black thigh-high stockings suspended with a garter belt, she felt more than a little uncomfortable. Caroline, on the other hand, looked perfectly comfortable in her skintight hot pants and bikini top.

"You know," Elena began, "When you asked us to go shopping, I didn't think you meant this."

Caroline smiled. "You look hot, stop worrying about it. Besides, we got a lot of great stuff. Did you see how well that pink shirt fit Stefan? He's gonna have to fight the guys off with a bat."

Elena grinned. Her new friend couldn't have been more oblivious. Stefan had followed Caroline around for hours on end, trying on every single article of clothing Caroline threw at him. His eyes had nearly popped out of his head when Caroline had started trying on underwear and asking for his opinion. No, he was definitely not gay.

"I guess you're right," Elena agreed with a smile. "Are you going to that party on the other bus?"

Caroline raised her eyebrows. "Of course I am. And so will you."

Elena shook her head. "Oh no, not a chance."

Caroline raised her makeup bag in the air. "Oh you're going, end of discussion."

"Since when did you start dictating my life?" Elena asked sarcastically.

"Since the day we met." Caroline pointed at her make up bag. "Come on now, your transformation isn't complete yet. I mean, you need make up like nobody's business. As I'm saying this, I'm starting to realize you may have had a point when you called me insensitive. I'm sorry I kicked you, by the way."

Elena couldn't help but grin. Caroline was just so...Precious, that was the only word to describe her. "It's okay."

"Great, come over here then!"

Elena moved over to the small stool in front of Caroline's mirror. Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Caroline grab a glass bottle and two shot glasses. Caroline smirked at her in the mirror.

"Want a drink?" She asked, winking.

Elena hesitated. "I don't know...The last time I got drunk...It didn't end well."

Caroline rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "Come on, you're with me, nothing bad is going to happen!"

She smiled tightly. "Okay then."

Caroline squealed happily before pouring them both shots. Elena followed Caroline's lead and downed hers, making a face at the taste. Well, if she was planning on destroying her old, mousy persona, this was an excellent start.

* * *

><p>Damon sat in the corner, not in the mood to entertain or to be entertained. He was angry. He'd wanted to try and catch Elena earlier during the day, but she'd been nowhere to be found. She was probably avoiding him as usual. And to think he'd been planning on apologizing!<p>

He looked over at the mass of sweaty bodies grinding against each other, and rolled his eyes. Alcohol and close quarters were a funny thing. Stefan fell down next to him, grasping a bottle of water as if it were a great treasure.

"What you got there, Gollum?" Damon asked.

Stefan punched him in the chest. "These people are like animals, they take everything! I managed to salvage this, and I'm not letting go of it."

"Okay then," Damon said, before looking his brother over. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Was his brother blushing? "A light magenta sweater vest, and forest green cargo shorts."

"Stefan, you look like Tinkerbell's masculine sister." He laughed, unable to control himself. "Do I even need to ask?"

"Caroline took me and Elena shopping." Stefan huffed angrily.

"Wait, Elena went with you two?" Well that explained her Houdini act.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, I just saw her and Caroline dancing. I think they're around here somewhere. They're pretty bombed though, just a warning."

Damon let his eyes roam over the room. After a minute of searching, he spotted Caroline, dressed in her usual hooker chic attire. Where was Elena though? And who was Caroline with? He didn't recognize the girl, which was odd since he always remembered the girls.

He looked her over in approval, her outfit leaving little to imagination, especially with the belt cinched around the t-shirt. He smirked. Even without Elena showing up, he could try to have fun, possibly by getting a closer look at the mystery girl's lacy lingerie. Her body looked sinfully good.

"Oh, you found them!" Stefan said.

"Found who?" Damon asked.

"Caroline and Elena, duh! Oh God, I'm already talking like her." Stefan said, horrified.

Damon zoned him out, his jaw dropping. The girl turned around on the dancefloor, grinding against Caroline, and he was instantly hard. That was Elena. His Elena. The girl who made Hillary Clinton look punk. What was wrong with her?

And she was smiling. And laughing. With Caroline. She was stoned, that was the only reasonable explanation. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the Lockwoods approach them. Mason and Tyler were great musicians, but that was as far as their association went.

Caroline happily danced with Tyler, while Mason wrapped his arms around Elena's waist from behind. To his aggravation, Elena leaned into him and started swaying her hips to the music.

"Look at her," Stefan said, sounding agitated.

"I know," Damon growled.

"What does she see in Tyler? I mean you have a certain charm, but him? Even if I were gay, which seems to be a wildly spreading rumor, I still wouldn't go for him!" Stefan ranted.

"I wasn't talking about Caroline, who we both know can handle herself, you idiot," Damon slapped him over the head. "Look at Elena."

Stefan cringed. "She's really wasted, isn't she?"

Damon nodded, lost in his thoughts. She'd been wasted during their first night together, but she was in way worse shape right now. She was leaning her head against Mason's shoulder drowsily, as he opted to place small kisses down her neck.

Elena moaned in protest, before turning around to push him away. Mason grabbed her wrists and brought her closer to him, kissing her. Damon growled and stood up. He might've been a dick and Elena might've been a bitch, but he wasn't going to let this pass.

"Hey, Lockwood," He said as he reached them, "Why don't you give it a rest?"

Mason smirked at him. "Come on, Salvatore, we could share?"

Elena mumbled something incoherent, leaning against Mason's chest. Damon sighed.

"Find someone willing, or take a hike. I don't really care, just get your hands off her." Damon said, his voice low with unspoken danger.

"Are you sure you're not interested?" Mason asked, grinning widely. "She's just so delicious."

He started pulling her t-shirt up her thighs, revealing her stockings, until Damon pushed him against a wall. The music stopped playing as people started gathering around them to see what was happening. Out of the corner of his eye, Damon saw Caroline tending to Elena, and focused on Mason once more.

"Listen up, dickhead. You do not look at her, you do not touch her, you do not even think about her, okay? Because I will end you." He growled into the elder Lockwood's ear, before punching him once, relishing the crunching sound he heard.

Damon let go of him and went over to Caroline and Elena. "Is she okay?"

Caroline looked frightened. "Damon, I don't know what happened, I think she just had too much to drink and..."

"Shut up, Caroline, I got this." He said, without even sparing her a glance.

He traced a finger down Elena's cheek, looking down at the passed out girl. He picked her up in his arms and started carrying her out of the bus. It was official. The powers that be had sent her over to ruin his life.

He took her to her room on the other bus and placed her on the bed. Slowly, he slipped her feet out of her converse sneakers, and wrapped the covers around her. He thought about taking her shirt off, but knew that she would kill him if she found out.

He sat next to her for a bit, weary due to the night's events. "You're annoying, you know that?"

Elena's eyes fluttered as she moaned. "Thanks, Damon. So nice to know you always have my back."

"Elena?" He asked, moving closer to her.

"That is my name, and Caroline thinks it's cool, which means it's gotta be!" Elena giggled, her breath smelling of alcohol.

He cursed. "Do you make it a habit of listening to Caroline's brainless chatter?"

"Hey, I'll have you know that she's a great person and a lot of fun," Elena slurred.

"So this was all her idea, dressing you up like this and getting you trashed?" He pointed at her. He was going to kill Caroline.

Elena pouted and looked up at him. "Don't you think I look pretty?"

Damon sighed, feeling his anger dissipate. Clearly, she was struggling with some self-esteem issues, and he couldn't pretend like he'd been a big help thus far.

"You always look pretty, Princess." He admitted.

Elena smiled and scrunched up her face. She lifted a hand to his cheek. "You always look pretty too, you know."

Damon chuckled. "Oh do I?"

She wasn't actually that bad. In fact, when she wasn't beating him up or insulting every aspect of his being, she was kind of cute.

Elena nodded. "You are. It's too bad you're such an asshole."

He sighed. She was no longer cute. He couldn't blame her though, he hadn't shown her his best self. He was in no mood to try and change her mind though, especially since she was drunk out of her mind.

Damon walked over to her and pressed a tiny kiss against her forehead. "You're right, I am an asshole. Goodnight, Elena."

Elena sighed contently, and closed her eyes. Damon spared one last look at her, before walking over to the door and pulling it open.

"Damon?" Her tiny voice called out to him.

"Yeah, Princess?"

"Thanks for bringing me to my room." She mumbled.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh don't thank me. Who else would I torture if not my favorite reporter in the whole wide world? Oh and by the way, the next time you dress up for me, go with Metallica instead."

Elena raised herself up on to her elbows and stuck her tongue out. "Fuck you."

"Fuck you right back." He waved at her sarcastically, before closing the door on her.

As soon as he was on the other side, he burst into laughter. It wasn't over between them. Not by a long shot.

* * *

><p>AN: So sorry for the late update! I was so tired last night that I actually fell asleep in the middle of a sentence lol. Thank you so much for all your encouraging reviews on the latest chapter of both this story and IYCAM, I'm glad everyone's been liking the fast(er) updates :) I hope you liked this chapter, and if you didn't...*Throws cookies* Please don't hit me xD Now if you'll excuse me, I've been depriving myself of ice cream once again...Phish Food, here I come! xoxo<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>Elena slowly opened her eyes, as a sliver of light came through the shades of her tiny window. The room was spinning, which discouraged her from getting up. What the hell had happened to her? She grimaced as she was suddenly bombarded with vivid flashbacks.<p>

"Oh my gosh, you're awake!" Someone squealed close to her.

Elena nearly jumped out of her skin. She raised herself on to her elbows, with quite a bit of effort, and waited for her vision to become clear. As the blurring faded, she managed to spot the tiny blonde sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"Hey," She croaked out, her voice still a bit hoarse from the previous night.

Caroline looked at her with obvious concern. "Are you okay? I was so worried last night, but Damon told me to let you sleep it off, and I..."

"I'm fine." Elena sighed. "Just a little confused as to what happened last night. Sorry if I made you worry."

Caroline grinned, comforted by the knowledge that her new BFF was fine. "It's cool. It was fun seeing Little Miss Stick-up-her-ass have some fun."

"Hey!" Elena protested. She wasn't that bad.

Caroline raised her arms. "Hey, I like you either way, but you don't even know how much fun you are!"

"Was I really...fun?" Elena asked hesitantly.

Despite the pounding in her head, she couldn't bring herself to fully regret going along with Caroline's plan. From what she could gather through the haze of her hangover, she'd had an amazing time. At least for the most part. That was new for her, seeing as her job and taking care of Jeremy had always taken precedence over her personal life.

The blonde nodded enthusiastically. "Hell yes! No wonder Mason got all hot and bothered for you! Seriously, if I swung that way, we totally would've made out, because damn!"

Elena scrunched up her face. "Yeah...About Mason...What happened there?"

"Oh you know, the usual," Caroline waved a hand flippantly. "He got a little too close for, well, Damon's comfort, and a sporadic release of testosterone occurred."

"Does that happen often with the two of them?" She asked.

"In Mason's case? He gets kicked around a lot. Has to do with him trying to hump everything that moves. This was the first time I saw Damon actually get involved, go figure." Caroline rolled her eyes.

Elena nodded. Well that was no good. "I see."

Caroline bit her lip. "What happened with the two of you?"

"What do you mean?" Elena asked, knowing full well where Caroline was going with her question.

"I'm not dumb, Elena." Caroline gave her a pointed look. "He's such an asshole when it comes to you, he hasn't slept with me since we hit the road, and now he's punching his band members for you...It's not like him, and I know what he's like."

Elena nodded. "Do you have feelings for him?"

"I do," Caroline sighed, pouting. "Or I don't know. He represents this lifestyle that I love, let's just say that. But I won't hold it against you if something happened between you two."

"Can you keep a secret?" Elena asked her.

Caroline nodded. With that confirmation, Elena told her the story of how she and Damon got into the tangled mess they were now in, leaving out no details. At some parts, Caroline frowned, laughed, and rolled her eyes, sometimes even commenting on her story. As Elena finished her gruesome tale, she looked at her new friend pleadingly.

"Please don't hate me," She begged.

"Why would I?" Caroline asked, amused. "If anything, I have more respect for you!"

"But how..." Elena was genuinely confused. How could she be so nonchalant about hearing all of that, while still harboring feelings for Damon?

"Elena, I have feelings for him, but it's never going to go anywhere. I know that. I can't blame you for being the one thing he does seem to want. It just sucks wanting someone who doesn't want you back, you know?" Caroline tried to smile at her reassuringly.

"Yeah. Thanks for listening to me, by the way, I just really needed to talk to someone." Elena smiled gratefully.

Caroline simply grinned. "Don't thank me! That was some juicy gossip, not that I'm gonna spread it or anything!"

"Good." Elena said seriously.

"Out of curiosity..." Caroline tried to find the right words. "Why wouldn't you just call his bluff? I mean, you work for a tabloid, right? That recorder has got to be worth quite a bit, wouldn't your boss like be super happy with you?"

Elena shrugged. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought of it. "Well, for one thing, my editor is kind of like my dad. I wouldn't want him or my little brother to look at me differently. For another, I have bigger aspirations for my life than working for a crappy tabloid. If I do it, I might completely blow my chances of ever moving upwards."

Caroline seemed satisfied with her answer, before smirking wickedly. "Wanna even the scales?"

"What do you mean?" Elena narrowed her eyes.

"Well..." Caroline trailed off innocently. "If that recorder were to go missing...That would just be awfully convenient, wouldn't it, 'Lena?"

Elena nodded, as a plan started taking form in her head. "I think you're right, Care."

Caroline stood up, looking more determined than ever. "That settles it! You and I are going to put our thinking caps on! As soon as you stop looking like death warmed over."

"Thanks," Elena rolled her eyes. "And Caroline?"

Caroline had already been walking towards the door, when she turned around at hearing her name. "Yeah?"

"I really am sorry about, Damon. You deserve someone better. Someone who really cares about you."

Caroline nodded, looking down, giving Elena the idea that she wasn't as okay as she appeared to be. "It's okay. Really, I should know better."

She opened the door, walking out, before shrieking loudly.

"God, Stefan! Look where you're going! Just...Stay away from me!" Elena cringed as she heard Caroline scream at the younger Salvatore on the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry, I just..." Stefan stuttered.

"I don't want to hear it, you little freak!" Elena heard something being shoved and someone sighing heavily.

"Come in," She yelled loudly. "I think I'm hosting a talk show today."

Stefan opened the door, frowning heavily. "I think I should've had a white flag made for today."

Elena patted her bed, seeing as her room was too small for any chairs. Stefan quickly sat down on the edge. "She didn't mean any of that, she's just having a bad day."

Stefan nodded. "You don't look so good either."

"Always the smooth talker, aren't you?" Elena stated dryly.

Stefan blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. You just look tired, that's all."

"That's because I am," Elena replied quickly. "Drinking the night away tends to do that."

"Do you always drink that much?" He asked.

"No, not really." She confessed. "Lately, I've just been feeling pretty inexperienced in life. I don't know, I just want to be a normal 25-year old for once. I never got to be a kid, so I guess I've been trying to make up for lost time. God, that sounds awful."

"Believe me," Stefan chuckled. "That sounds familiar. Ask Damon how he became the asshole he is today, you might be surprised by the answer."

Elena furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

Stefan shrugged noncommittally. "That's his story to tell. Let's just say that things aren't as black and white as they might appear."

Elena nodded. "A certain blonde might have told me the same thing just yesterday."

"You should listen to her," Stefan smiled wistfully.

Elena hesitated, before deciding to just go for it. "Why haven't you told her?"

"Told her what?" He looked back at her with wide, frightened hazel eyes.

"That you're in love with her." Elena stated immediately. "Never lie to me, I'm like a bloodhound."

"That you are," He sighed. "I haven't told her because she doesn't like guys like me."

Elena resisted the urge to strangle him. "How would you know? You don't even have the guts to talk to her! Are you just attracted to her because of her looks? I'm starting to see the Salvatore family resemblance. You and Damon are both just so..."

"It's not about how she looks," Stefan cut her off. "It's how she can control the whole room. If she's smiling, everyone just lights up. If she's unhappy, no one's having a good time. Haven't you seen her? She acts like she's so tough, even though she's clearly more vulnerable than she lets on. How could I not want her?"

Elena nodded grimly. "You don't have to tell me how amazing she is, I'm starting to see it for myself. Why doesn't your brother see it?"

Stefan laughed darkly. "This might come as a surprise to you, but he does care about Caroline, even if it's not romantically. If he didn't care, he wouldn't have allowed me to put her on our bus."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Elena asked, licking her lips. "Why are we on this bus and not on the other one with the rest of the girls?"

"Do you want to be on that bus?" Stefan raised his eyebrows.

"I'd rather have Sayid stick bamboo splinters under my fingernails." Elena stated seriously.

Stefan looked at her blankly. "What?"

"Do you own a TV?" She sighed. "Never mind, get to the point."

Stefan shook his head, smiling. "The main reason Caroline is on this bus is because I wanted her to be. The main reason you're on this bus is because..."

"Damon wanted it." Elena finished his sentence for him.

"Bingo." Stefan smiled, clearly amused. "Make of that what you will."

She nodded, not sure of what to say. "How's everything going with the gig tonight?"

"That's why I actually wanted to see you, I needed to drop off your backstage pass." Stefan said before handing it over.

Elena turned the plastic-encased pass in her hands. "Thanks."

"No problem." Stefan stood up and walked over to the door. "I hope you actually come this time."

Elena gave him a small smile, before letting her head fall back on to her pillow as she heard the door click shut. Her head was still killing her, even more so after all the new information she had just acquired. The motion of the bus rolling along on a bumpy road wasn't helping. She heard the door open once more.

"Did you forget something..."

She raised her head and gasped in surprise. Damon waggled his eyebrows as a greeting. "If I say I didn't get a proper goodbye kiss last night, am I risking certain body parts?"

"Depends on whether or not you exit this room in the next two seconds," Elena growled.

"Hey, no need to be like that," He reprimanded her. "Especially since I didn't come empty-handed."

He threw her a water bottle, before extending a small white pill to her in his hand. Elena frowned. "What is that?"

"Oh for fuck's sake," He groaned. "It's Aspirin, you moron. Just take it."

Elena nodded, taking a gulp of water and downing the pill. "Thanks. I'm sorry. I'm just..."

"Ridiculously hungover?" Damon smirked.

"Yeah," She gave him a tiny laugh. "And thanks for helping me out last night."

He shrugged. "No biggie. I need to protect our Ace Reporter from any and all threats."

She shook her head, rolling her eyes. "I don't need anyone to protect me, least of all you."

"Why?" He smirked.

"Because..." She sighed.

Suddenly, he pounced on her, straddling her on the bed. "Could it be because I'm the Big Bad Wolf to your Red Riding Hood? Are you scared of me?"

Elena looked to her side, desperate for an escape. She didn't trust herself around him, especially since she knew her will-power was fragile at best. She'd had a taste, and now she wanted more, no matter how much she tried to deny it.

He smirked, his lips only a few inches from hers. "That's it, isn't it? You're scared of me!"

Elena pushed at his shoulders, though he refused to budge. "I'm not scared of you!"

"Really?" He asked, trailing a finger down her arm. "You're getting goosebumps, but you say you're not scared...Interesting. Could it be you actually want me?"

Elena raised her eyebrows, suddenly amused. "You're awfully obsessed with me, you know? I'm starting to think you're the one with a little schoolboy crush."

Damon growled, shoving a leg between her thighs, enjoying the way she gasped at their new proximity. "I'm not obsessed with you, or with anyone."

"Really?" She grinned. "Because I think different. Suddenly it all makes sense."

"What makes sense?" He asked her suspiciously.

"You like me!" She laughed exuberantly. "It's kind of cute, don't you think? You getting me drunk to have your way with me, blackmailing me to come on your tour, defending my honor like a caveman...You might as well have stomped on my sandcastle and pulled on my pigtails."

Damon gripped her arms, pressing himself more firmly against her. "Seems like you're fishing, sweetheart."

Elena shook her head. "You're such a sad little thing, aren't you?"

"We both know there's nothing sad or little about me," He smirked, grinding his hips against hers.

Elena gripped her eyes shut, trying not to moan out at the contact. "You can stop deflecting, I won't give in."

"Really? Because I think you find me irresistible." He licked a trail down her neck.

She rolled her eyes, before using all her muscles to flip them over, much to his surprise. She straddled him as he grinned up at her.

"This is a favorite position of yours, isn't it?" He smiled at her happily.

Elena lowered her head until their lips were nearly touching. "Do you like it?"

"Like what?" He whispered, playing along, his hot breath tickling her skin.

"The way I ride you," She purred, bringing her lips even closer to his. "The way my muscles squeeze your hard, aching cock..."

She trailed a hand down his body, before brazenly lowering her hand into his black jeans. She grasped his hot length in her hand, letting her fingers mold themselves around it lightly. He let out a shudder, growing even harder.

"Because I think you find me irresistible." Elena grinned wickedly, throwing his earlier words back at him.

She grinded herself against him slowly, getting more and more confident due to his reaction to her. It was flattering, not to mention fun. He had it coming.

He tried to lift his lips to hers, only for her to pull herself up. She smiled at him innocently. "Sorry, Damon, I'm all out of, how did you put it...Oh that's right! 'Pity fucking the needy and mentally unstable'!"

Elena jumped off the bed, making sure her t-shirt still covered everything it was supposed to cover. He was still lying on her bed, looking more stunned than ever. She grinned. Despite her hangover, she felt pretty fucking smug.

"The next time you want to impress a girl, try not being such an asshole. You know, we've slept together twice and you haven't even wondered if I'm on any kind of protection! I am, but what stuns me is that you really don't give a shit about anyone but yourself. Am I supposed to fawn over you?" Elena crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows.

"Grow up, Damon. I am never going to sleep with you again, no matter how much you try to charm me. You're blackmailing me, remember? I'm not some puppet that's here for your amusement. I'm an actual human being, and I won't be treated this way!" She huffed, taking a deep breath.

Damon raised himself on to his elbows. "I may be just as disgusting as you said I am, but that still doesn't change the fact that you just had your hand down my pants. I get you hot and make you feel alive. There's nothing wrong with admitting that."

Elena chuckled dryly, before shaking her head. "Likewise. Except I'm not trying to make your life a living hell. You know, you can screw around with my future as much as you want, but you know what? I have a brother! I'm the only thing he has for a role model and a caretaker, and I sure as hell won't let you take that away from him!"

He looked at her, stunned, before lowering his eyes. Elena glared at him. "We had a deal, remember? You weren't supposed to touch me, and now you've really gotten on my bad side. If you'll excuse me, I need a shower. I'd appreciate it if you'd be gone by the time I return."

She shut the door, leaning against it with a sigh. Somehow, she felt as if things between them had just shifted. More than that, she felt as if she finally had the upper hand, and it wasn't a bad feeling. Not bad at all.

* * *

><p>"Okay!" Caroline clapped her hands together. "They're just about to start their set, which gives us a full...Two hours before anyone will be coming back. I'm gonna look backstage and in his dressing room, you take the bus."<p>

Elena took a deep breath. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

Caroline smirked. "Have you met me? I live for anything that requires me to dress in something skintight and black.

Elena raised her eyebrows, amused at her antics. "You do realize that the cat burglar outfit isn't necessary?"

"You're stealing my thunder." Caroline pouted. "Though I have to say, I do dig your ensemble, 'Lena."

Elena looked down, nodding in approval. She was wearing a black skintight tank top with grey skinny jeans and her converse sneakers from earlier.

Shopping with Caroline had paid off after all. She didn't look trashy, just more youthful.

"Was that a compliment?" She gasped mockingly.

Caroline glared at her. "Hey! I give credit where credit is due!"

Elena simply smiled. "I really do appreciate you doing this with me."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Look, just make sure to be subtle about it in case someone comes back early from the after party. I'll stay at the club to avoid suspicion. We'll meet up tomorrow, okay?"

Elena nodded. "Good luck."

Caroline waved at her before skipping out of the bus. Elena sighed and turned around to inspect the bus. If she were a small, rectangular device, where would she be? She growled in frustration. Too many possibilities, too little time.

She headed straight for the ER. As she entered, she had to will herself to stay calm and not panic. The room was messy, to say the least. Empty beer cans littered the floor, alongside dirty clothes, instruments and other items. With the plush couches and chairs to boot, it was the perfect hiding place.

Elena bent down and started lifting random objects off the floor. Little by little, she scoured every inch of the room, with very little success. Much to her dissatisfaction, she had nearly used her allotted two hours by the time she was done turning the ER upside down. Luckily, she knew the after parties of The Immortals were somewhat legendary and would keep the rest of the crew occupied for a long time.

She entered the common space again, turning over random bean bags, rolling her eyes at her behavior. Of course he wouldn't hide what little leverage he had so sloppily! It had to be somewhere secure, where no one would accidentally get their hands on it.

She bit her lip, hesitating. Could she actually enter his room? That was a line she wasn't sure she wanted to cross. After all, it was where the devil slept! She shuddered. No good could come out of getting more tangled into his web, yet she had to. That recorder could finally give her the leverage she so craved.

Elena opened the door, leaving it open, as she stared in amazement at the room before her. It was completely black, with only a small lamp warming it up. Not much was done to furnish it. There was a bed, a small desk, and bag of clothes, as fas as she could tell.

Elena browsed the surfaces with both her hands and eyes, looking for her recorder. She walked over to his desk and smiled, picking up a picture of two young boys at the beach. They were hugging each other fiercely, smiling at the camera. She felt her heart grow warm at how innocent they looked. She put the picture back down, returning to her task.

Where could he have possibly hid it? She looked at his bed. Maybe it was under his pillows? She rolled her eyes, before crouching down and starting to crawl on her hands on knees on the bed. She reached the end of his bed right as she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Well, I was planning on ditching the party and trying to get you to have a naked slumber party with me, but you're one step ahead of me, aren't you?" He smiled. "Message received, though you could've gone with a little more subtlety."

Elena blushed, realizing that he was currently staring at her perky bottom, and sat down quickly. She turned around, crossing her arms.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" She asked.

"Are you seriously asking me what I'm doing in my own room? After I caught you snooping around?" He raised his eyebrows, kicking the door behind him shut. As he used one hand to lock it, Elena

Elena shifted in place, trying to come up with a reasonably believable lie. "I wasn't snooping. I was just looking for..."

"Don't Eff with an Effer." He smiled at her dangerously. "You wouldn't happen to know why Caroline was doing the exact same thing in my dressing room?"

"No." Elena lied smoothly.

He raised his eyebrows, before drawing a hand to his back pocket and pulling out her beloved recorder. She gasped as he waved it in front of her.

"And you're positive you weren't looking for this?" She wanted to rip his stupid, perfect face off. He couldn't be that cocky all the time! It wasn't fair!

Elena sighed. "Damon..."

He tossed it on to the bed. "Take it. It's yours."

Elena quickly grabbed it, putting it into her pocket. "Look, I don't know what kind of a game you're playing at here, but..."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not playing a game. I just want you to have it."

"Why?" She desperately wanted to know.

Damon shrugged, before smirking. "Because while you didn't call my bluff, I've decided to call yours."

"What?" She asked nervously. She started feeling uncomfortable, not liking the way he was scrutinizing her.

"You said I was blackmailing you, right? And that there was no other reason for you to be here?" He stared at her coldly, almost challenging her. "Here's your chance. Get back to your boring old life. No one's stopping you, I'll even call your boss and make something up."

She looked at him, stunned into silence. The choice should've been obvious. Yet strangely enough, she found herself hesitating.

"Why are you doing this?" Elena asked.

Damon shrugged. "What do I have to lose? You're...intriguing, but that's about as far as it goes. On the flipside, we both know you kinda love being here. I see you with Caroline and Stefan, you're having fun. Possibly for the first time ever. I have nothing to lose, but you're risking a few awesome friends and a grand fucking time."

Elena nodded. While she knew there was more to what was going on between them than just "intrigue", she didn't have the energy to fight him on it. Especially since he was right about all the rest. She was having fun.

Strangely enough, the more time she spent on the bus, the less it became about him and the more it became about her. Not even about her work, but just her. It was relaxing, not having to be the responsible one for once (Also, she and Caroline had quickly deduced Stefan to be a much bigger workaholic than she was). As selfish as the thought made her feel at times, she loved not having the burden of real life on her shoulders.

Elena sighed. "Fine. I don't want to leave."

He grinned at her victoriously. "And she finally admits it! Now tell me you want me."

"I don't." She replied as a reflex to his question.

Damon laughed dryly, shaking his head. "One step forward and a gazillion back. That's how you like it, right?"

Elena stood up with the intention to leave his room and never return. "Don't tell me what I like and don't like. You don't know me. Thanks for the recorder, Damon."

Just as she was about to walk past him, he pushed her into the adjacent wall, encasing her with his body. He grabbed both of her hands. Elena glared at him.

"Now, now, there's no need to be rude." He whispered soothingly, breaking into a smirk.

Elena groaned. "Yes, because you're the definition of decorum, aren't you?"

"Say whatever you want about me, but I'm not a liar." Damon stated matter of factly.

"Really?" She laughed. "So you feel nothing for me? Nothing at all?"

He smirked again. "We have great sexual chemistry and I do think you're a riot, but feelings? Get over yourself."

"You're so full of shit." She couldn't help her tiny smile. He was unbelievable.

"Prove me wrong then. I dare you to try, but prepare to be mocked."

She gave him a smirk of her own. A month ago, she had been a different person. A person constrained by routine and responsibility. Who she was now...She hadn't even come close to figuring it out yet. And neither had he.

"Not that I care or anything..." Elena shrugged callously. "But challenge accepted."

Elena leaned over, crushing her lips against his. He returned the kiss fiercely, pressing her further into the wall. She hooked one leg around his waist, using it to maneuver them so that he was the one pressed against the wall. Violently, she pulled his pants open, tugging them down his hips.

"Eager, are we?" He asked, leaning against the wall.

"Shut up." Elena gritted out.

Elena sank down to her knees, rolling her eyes as she saw him going commando again. She wrapped her hand firmly around his cock, smirking as she felt him grow hard. He grabbed on to his desk for support, as the warm wetness of her mouth engulfed him.

Damon sank his hands into her hair, pulling on her hair hard, only further spurring her on. She sucked on him hard, using her left hand to get a better grip. She rolled her tongue around his salty skin with indented cheeks.

Elena looked up at him and smirked around him. He was leaning against the wall with his eyes shut, breathing raggedly. She couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her. He groaned out as the vibrations of it hit his cock.

"Fuck..." He moaned out. He thrust into her mouth, lost to the sensations she was bringing him.

Elena sucked on him harder, causing him to whine out pitifully. She opened her mouth further, taking him in as far as she could, until she felt him hit the back of her mouth. Relaxing her jaw, she swallowed around him. She held him in her mouth, squeezing him with her throat, until he pulled out abruptly.

Damon grabbed her by the shoulders, looking feverish to say the least. "Sorry, princess, but I have bigger plans for us."

Elena rolled her eyes as he pushed her back against the wall, immediately beginning to undress her. "Eager, are we?"

Damon cursed under his breath, trying to work the buttons of her jeans. Eventually, he relented and opted to push them down her legs, along with her black panties. "Shut up."

"Ooh, original." Elena smiled.

He pushed her by her shoulders more firmly against the wall, enjoying the way she sighed. He glared at her, his eyes filled with pure ice, before kissing her hard. Dominating her with his tongue, he conveyed to her his desperation. After a moment's hesitation, Elena returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his waist.

As he finally came out for air, he simply stared at her longingly. "I want you. There's no need to complicate things."

Elena nodded breathlessly. "This is just sex. It doesn't mean anything."

"Oh look, we actually agree on something." He laughed.

Damon kissed her again, tugging at her tank top hard, until the material simply gave out. Elena slapped him.

"Hey! I just bought that!" She yelled at him.

He threw the torn cloth away, before returning his attention to her round breasts encased in a black bra. He kneaded her flesh with his hands, before lowering his head and sucking on the skin. He bit her, grinning as she whined lightly.

Damon looked back at her cockily. "I'll get you more."

Elena glared at him, before attacking his lips again. As they were kissing heatedly, he grasped her ass, pulling her up. Elena wrapped her legs around his waist, straddling his hips. She moaned out as her naked back hit the wall again.

He ran his hard length down her wet slit. As he positioned himself at her entrance, he grasped her hips roughly, looking at her.

"Look at me." He said fiercely.

Elena looked at her, the chocolate in her eyes turned molten, and held her breath. Slowly, nearly excruciatingly so, he slid into her. When he was finally seated fully inside of her, she let out the breath she'd been holding, her eyes wide with expectation and trepidation.

He began thrusting into her hard, pushing her into the wall each time. Elena started lifting her hips up and down in sync with his, pulling him deeper inside of her. He teased her, first going fast, then going slow, as she lost herself to the different sensations.

"Harder..." Elena moaned, beads of sweat gathering on her forehead.

Damon kissed her shoulder blade, slamming into her hard. Elena wrapped her legs tighter around him, trembling wildly.

"Is this what you want?" He asked her gruffly, pounding into her repeatedly.

"Yes!" She yelled without reservations. She didn't care anymore, she just wanted more.

Elena ran her hands down the smooth planes of his back, sinking her nails into his skin. She was losing control, slipping further down the rabbit hole. He was no better off, breathing raggedly against her shoulder.

Damon grasped her hands, lifting them above her head, as he continued thrusting into her. Over and over, their hips collided together, both of them wrapped up in the feel of each other. She whimpered as she felt the familiar tingles of her orgasm in the pit of her stomach.

Soon enough, she was breathing rapidly as she continued sinking down on to him. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her inner muscles spasmed around him, milking him for all his worth. Spent, she draped herself further around him, as he came with a harsh growl only seconds later.

Supporting her weight, he carried them over to his bed, both tumbling down in a tangled heap of limbs. Elena found herself straddling him, though she wasn't surprised. Somehow, it seemed, that they always ended up that way. She raised her head from where it had been resting on his chest and looked at him, noticing that he had his eyes closed.

"Damon?" She asked.

He had his eyes closed, even as one corner of his mouth curved into a sexy half-smile. "Yeah?"

"Where were you keeping the recorder all this time?" Elena asked, genuinely curious after hours of searching for it.

Damon smirked, opening his beautiful cerulean eyes. "In my pocket."

She was confused. "But aren't there better places to keep it at? Why carry it on you?"

He let out a low laugh. "Remember your little speech about personal space? I hid it in the one place I knew you wouldn't look for it. Though...I guess that little arrangement is over since someone really can't keep her hands to herself."

Elena groaned in disgust, using her hands to push herself up against his chest. "I should go."

She was started by a loud knock on the door, stifling the gasp about to escape her lips.

"Damon! We're gonna move the party over here, are you coming?" Tyler yelled through the door.

Damon looked at her pointedly, signalling for her to keep quiet. "Fuck off, man, I'm trying to sleep."

Elena let out a sigh of relief as she heard Tyler's footsteps move further away from the door. Only to curse under her breath as she heard a dozen more people enter the bus.

"Looks like you're stuck." Damon smiled at her happily. "Unless you wanna tell everyone we're going steady."

Elena glared at him, swatting at his chest. "I don't want anyone to know about us, not that there's an us to begin with."

He snickered. "Of course there's an us. Can't you see us? I think we look pretty fucking good together."

She rolled her eyes and moved to the other side of the bed. Swiftly, she wrapped the covers around her lithe form and turned her back on him.

"I'm sleeping here tonight." She stated. "Keep your hands off me."

Elena could almost sense the smirk gracing his handsome face. "Likewise. I wouldn't want to get raped in my sleep."

She sighed. "What will it take to get you to shut up?"

"I do believe I was robbed of a goodnight kiss last night."

Exasperated, she threw the covers off her and rolled back on top of him. Cupping his face, she attempted to peck him quickly, only for him to pull her in for a smoldering kiss. She tried to fight him, only to give up after two seconds, sighing happily as his tongue entered her mouth. After what felt like only a moment, he pulled away, caressing her cheek.

"See now that was a proper kiss." Damon smiled at her crookedly.

Elena worked to steady her breathing, staring at him with wide eyes. Who was he? She'd thought she had him figured out, yet the more time she spent around him, the more confused she became.

She moved back over to her side of the bed, not daring to look back. As she burrowed deep into the covers, looking for security, she could still feel his eyes boring into her back.

"Goodnight, Damon." She mumbled.

She felt the bed shift as he moved over to her side. He grasped her shoulder, bringing his mouth close to her ear. His hot breath tickled her skin, causing her to shiver.

"Goodnight, Princess." He whispered, before kissing the top of her head and moving back over to his side.

Elena shut her eyes tightly, still feeling his lips on hers. The more she tried to convince herself to stay away from him, the more she felt drawn to him.

And worst of all, she liked it.

* * *

><p>AN: *Sighs* I'm such a pushover...A few reviews demanding smut and I immediately cave (*glares at Arwen1*) lol. Ehh, I'm just joking, I like writing smut for this story, if only because this isn't meant to be all that serious lol. Such a hard chapter for me to write though, I kept getting uninspired constantly. I think I've been updating so much lately that I might need a small break from writing...Hmm...Anyways, have a nice weekend! :) So sorry for the late-ish update! xoxo<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>He was fucked. Wrapped in his arms, sleeping peacefully, was the most annoyingly infuriating girl he had ever made the mistake of sleeping with. And it felt weird. And comfortable. Elena yawned, burrowing her head deeper into the crook of his neck, as if it belonged there. He scowled.<p>

Sex was simple. Only what they were doing wasn't sex anymore, it was a prolonged session of cuddling. He didn't do cuddling, especially with someone like her. Desperate to get her off him, he did the only thing he could think of. Bringing his foot back, Damon kicked her in the shin.

"Ow!" Elena groaned, looking frazzled as she raised her head. "Did you just kick me?"

He smiled, trying to feign innocence. "Of course not."

She glared daggers at him. "You really do know how to treat a lady right, don't you?"

"Baby, there was nothing ladylike about you last night." Damon grinned at her.

Elena rolled her eyes, and pushed herself up. "Well this has been lovely."

She looked for her pants and underwear, finding them in the corner. She felt disgusting and in desperate need of a shower, but getting out of his room was priority numero uno. To hell with anyone seeing her.

Damon crossed his arms behind his head, leaning back on his bed. She was surprisingly calm, which was the one thing that got to him the most. It was as if she didn't care. He rolled his eyes, remembering that he was the one that didn't care. Not at all.

"So that's it? You're not going to cry, beg for a few more minutes with this body?" He smirked.

Elena went to his bag of clothes, fishing out a random t-shirt. She grinned as she saw the band pictured on it. Metallica. It was fitting, to say the least. She pulled it on and flipped out her hair.

"Stop that," Elena chided him with a smile. "I'm not angry. I'm not even annoyed."

"What?" Had she gone completely insane?

She sighed, already exhausted by talking to him. "We had sex. What's the big deal? It's over. Now we move on, until the next time one of us gets an itch."

It wasn't the exact truth, but he didn't need to know that. She was affected by him, greatly so, but he was the last person she'd ever confess that to.

He furrowed his brows. It was as if he'd been sucked into a foreign dimension where she talked like he did. Well, like he used to. "I don't follow."

Elena grinned, walking over to his bed. She straddled him and pinched his cheeks. He slapped her hand away, causing her to laugh at him.

"You're so cute." She cooed mockingly. "Look, I don't like you. I probably never will. But you were right. Sex is just sex. As far as I'm concerned, you giving me that recorder evened out the playing field. Everything you're doing to annoy me...It's irrelevant. I don't care. And I gotta say, I feel fantastic."

Damon glared at her. "Well look who finally decided to join the winning team."

Elena smirked, lowering her head and pecking him on the lips. "I really gotta run now. Thanks for the sex, sweetie."

His jaw dropped open as she jumped off him and walked out of his room. He felt cheated, and strangely used. He shrugged. At least she was a terrific fuck, not that he'd ever inflate her ego by telling her that. She already had way too much power over him, he refused to give her more ammo.

Damon sighed and let his head drop against his pillow. It was maddening, the way he craved her even when he'd just had her. He rolled his eyes. It didn't matter. She was different from all the rest, and falling for her would be much too dangerous to even consider. Not that he was considering it. Not at all.

On the other side of the door, Elena let out a sigh of relief as she looked over the deserted bus. She'd gotten her groove back last night, but she wasn't quite willing to make a reputation for herself just yet. Just as she was pondering the implications of her and Damon's sexcapades, the door opposite Damon's, Stefan's to be exact, opened up in a haste. Elena's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Caroline?" She asked, unable to resist the smile creeping across her face.

Caroline looked like a deer caught in headlights. Her previous cat burglar outfit from the other night had magically transformed into an oversized men's t-shirt that came all the way down to her thighs.

Caroline plastered a big smile on to her face. "Elena! I didn't know you'd be up this early."

Elena quirked an eyebrow. "Uhhuh. Have you seen Stefan by any chance?"

Caroline's eyes bugged out comically, as she sputtered and tried to come up with the right words. "I, uh, haven't seen him. I was just borrowing something from him."

"His Yale t-shirt?" Elena asked, amused. "Did you lose your pants too?"

"Look, I was just..." Caroline sighed, before narrowing her eyes at her friend. "Wait! Why are you coming out of Damon's room? And why are you wearing his shirt?"

She cringed. She really was a hypocrite. "Let's not discuss this."

"Ever again." Caroline added.

Elena nodded, before sprinting for the shower.

"Elena! I need to go first!" Caroline whined as she chased after her.

Elena slammed the door shut, locking it firmly, before slumping down to the floor. As she heard Caroline pounding on the door, calling her several different names, she simply couldn't help it. She laughed harder than she'd ever laughed in her life.

* * *

><p>"We weren't supposed to talk about it." Elena nursed her drink.<p>

Caroline glared at her. "You took up all the hot water this morning, I'm hungover, and only some good gossip will make me feel better."

"Just yesterday you had feelings for the guy, and now you want me to tell you about our sex life?" Elena raised her eyebrows.

Caroline picked up the umbrella from her drink and tossed it at her. "I'm way too depressed to be focusing on something as trivial as a crush on Damon."

"You're depressed?" Elena grinned, wanting to change the subject. "It didn't seem like it this morning."

Caroline moaned, letting her head fall against the bar counter. "I am never drinking again, or taking part in one of your stupid plans!"

"My stupid plan? You were the one who came up with it!" She chose to remind the blonde.

"Remind me never to make plans. Ever again." Caroline muttered.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Was it really that bad?"

Caroline huffed, before lifting her head in a flurry of blonde curls. "Bad? Oh no, that doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Okay, so Stefan clearly isn't the most experienced of guys, but..." Elena tried comforting her, only for the blonde to cut her off.

"He was supposed to be gay!" Caroline yelled obscenely loud, getting a few nasty glances from fellow customers. Elena shot them apologetic looks.

"Why couldn't he just be gay?" Caroline whined. "This is just awful."

"So you had sex." Elena gave her a tight smile. This level of girl talk was new to her, what with Bonnie's young age. "Isn't that kind of your thing? No offense."

Caroline gasped with horror, before shaking her head rapidly. "We didn't have sex!"

"What?" Elena asked, genuinely confused now.

Caroline sighed, taking a big gulp of her drink. "We just slept together. Ugh, we were spooning! Okay, so there might be a chance that he's still gay."

"Because he didn't take advantage of you?" Elena smiled. "And what the hell happened to your clothes?"

"Don't remind me." Caroline groaned. "I think I was still a little bummed out about being so unwanted, that I had a little too much to drink, and..."

"And what?" Propriety aside, Elena couldn't help but feel engrossed in her story. After all, she had been watching Ken and Barbie's love story develop for the past few weeks, it was only fitting for her to see it get resolved.

Caroline groaned again, covering her eyes with her hands. "I think I took them off and threw them at him. If memory serves, he had to carry me kicking and screaming from the club to the bus. And I asked him to stay with me! Oh gosh, this is awful, he's just so..."

"Chivalrous? Nice? Respectful?" Elena offered.

"No!" Caroline pouted. "Well, okay, it was kind of nice of him to not ignore me even though I mocked his clothes and his hair, but I just can't. I can't handle someone like him. He's too chivalrous, nice, and respectful. Yuck."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Maybe that's exactly what you need. I'm just saying, if I need to let loose, you might as well try something a little more serious."

"You know," Caroline giggled, "I never knew you'd turn out to be such a slut."

Elena glowered at her and she immediately raised her hands as defense. "Oh no, I didnt mean it as an insult!"

"Really? Because it sounded like a compliment." Elena said sarcastically.

Caroline shrugged. "I'm glad you're having fun. And I'm happy that I'm too focused on his idiot of a brother to think about that jerk you're sleeping with."

"Speaking of," Elena tried changing the subject. "When are they supposed to go on?"

"In about 15 minutes." Caroline stated. "But I was promised gossip and I intend to get it."

"I don't know what to tell you." She replied honestly. "We had sex, but it's nothing serious."

Caroline grinned, before looking down. "Sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elena narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing." Caroline kept smiling. "I just still don't think you're that girl."

Elena pulled out the recorder from her purse, dangling it in front of the other girl. Caroline squealed and clapped her hands together excitedly. "You got it!"

"Yup." Elena said smugly. "And to answer your non-question, I'm not that girl. But I'm also not that headcase you all think I am. I don't know who I am, but I'm having fun finding out."

Caroline smiled widely. "I'm happy for you."

Elena smiled back at her. She was happy for herself. Her career was intact, her writing had never been more inspired, and she was having fun. What more could she ask for? Granted, sleeping with Damon was a big mistake just waiting to explode in her face, but it felt good. She was playing with fire, and she'd never felt more like a woman in her life.

Elena and Caroline finished their drinks in silence, before Caroline pointed at the stage. "Oh look, they're starting!"

Elena looked over to the stage. Caroline was right, the rest of the band were already in position, with only Damon missing. Soon enough, he walked on to the stage, and was met with loud shrieks and screams. Elena rolled her eyes. The bastard was shirtless again, letting everyone get a glimpse of his toned body.

"Ugh, they're so pathetic." Caroline sneered.

"Weren't you one of them until yesterday?" Elena teased her.

"I was never one of those lame, clingy ones." Caroline said flippantly. "Why else would I be on the same bus with him?"

Elena grimaced, wondering whether or not she should tell her the truth, only for Caroline to get there on her own.

"Oh God..." Caroline gasped with horror. "This is just awful. I mean it's Stefan...Eww."

Elena let out a silent prayer as Damon's voice cut off Caroline's rant.

"Hey, everyone," He smirked at the girls in the audience. "We have a great set for you tonight. Guys, grab a girl, girls, feel free to proposition me afterwards."

She rolled her eyes as he smirked directly at her, and waved at her. Caroline nudged her playfully.

"Come on, you've got to be at least a little pleased with yourself. He's all weird with you." She giggled girlishly.

"Like Stefan is with you?" Elena retorted.

Caroline nodded. "Point taken. Let's just stop talking."

She focused her attention back to the stage, as Damon began to sing softly. His voice soothed her, and she could once again feel herself slip under his hypnotic trance.

_You build me up  
>You knock me down<br>Provoke a smile  
>And make me frown<br>You are the queen of runaround  
>You know it's true<em>

_You chew me up  
>And spit me out<br>Enjoy the taste  
>I leave in your mouth<br>You look at me  
>I look at you<br>Neither of us know what to do_

Elena's eyes sparkled with amusement as he kept looking at her. At least his song choice showed a sense of humor. He was good, she had to give him that. There was something magnetic about him, as much as it pained her to admit that. His voice seemed to pierce her, making her crave him once more.

_So come to bed It's getting late  
>There's no more time for us to waste<br>Remember how my body tastes  
>You feel your heart begin to race <em>

Her heart was racing. This was new and exciting territory for her, and the rush was addicting. Damon finished the song to thunderous cheers, taking a dramatic bow. He looked right after, blowing her a kiss, eliciting laughter from several audience members.

Elena blushed under everyone's scrutiny. He had no tact! Yet she was incredibly turned on and wanted to go up on the stage and...It wasn't going to happen. She looked at Caroline and noticed the blonde smirking at her with an 'I told you so' written across her face. Elena ordered another drink from the bartender, suddenly feeling parched.

For the rest of the night, she focused her attention solely on the music, trying her best to disregard Damon's attempts to rattle her. One time, he even dedicated a song to "Ellen", which made her want to strangle him with his own mic. She'd remind him of her name later, and judging by the grin he was sporting, he was counting on it.

After spotting Stefan lurking in the shadows, Caroline had bolted nearly an hour ago, leaving Elena all alone. She didn't mind. Everything had been progressing so quickly, she did need some time to herself. Suddenly, someone smoothly slid on to the stool next to her.

As he refused to speak, Elena looked at him amusedly. "Did you want something or...?"

Elijah smiled. "I was just marveling at your beauty."

"Wow." Elena laughed, her cheeks tinted from blushing. "That was so incredibly...I want to say 'cheesy', but the word doesn't seem to do you justice."

"Nor does 'beauty' to you." He quipped confidently.

Elena smiled. "Why aren't you up there with your merry band of hooligans and misfits?"

He shrugged, with more elegance than she thought possible. "This is Damon's show now, in case you haven't noticed. He gets to croon acoustically into the mic, I'm not needed to achieve that chain reaction of panties dropping. Not that I mind, I'd much rather be here talking to you."

She smiled, shaking her head. He was attractive, in a very old-fashioned way, and she couldn't help but feel flattered. He was the first person to treat her with some amount of dignity, and she found it a welcome change.

She spared a glance at the stage and stifled a gasp. Damon was looking at her and Elijah with ice in his eyes. He sang softly into the mic, not breaking eye contact with her.

_I know I don't know you  
>But I want you so bad<br>Everyone has a secret  
>But can they keep it<br>Oh No they can't _

Elena bit her lip. He just had to be singing the song he'd been singing when they'd first met. The one he'd dedicated to her. She hated herself for it, but she wanted to believe in his lyrics. Even when she knew that not even the man singing them to her believed in them. She tried desperately to rid herself of the thoughts running rampant in her head. He was a lot of fun, but she couldn't afford to get attached to someone like him.

"He's getting to you, isn't he?" Elijah asked, smiling at her knowingly.

She shrugged, pretending to inspect her cuticles. "I wouldn't know about that."

"Really?" He looked amused. "Because he looks as though he wants to smack me with that guitar."

Elena laughed dryly. "Sometimes it doesn't matter what people look like, or what they're thinking. What matters is their actions, and when it comes to him, my expectations couldn't be lower."

She was quickly becoming more and more annoyed with Elijah's apparent deductive skills. It made her feel uneasy, knowing that someone could read her that well, without even spending time with her.

Elijah nodded. "That's a good thing. You seem like a nice girl, don't let him take that from you."

With that, he stood up and stalked off. Elena sighed. He'd given her valid advice, and she knew she should probably take it. She picked up her Gin Tonic and finished it quickly. It was very good advice, only she was sick of always being the good girl.

Later that night, as she entered her room, she dropped down to her bed. She was exhausted, having spent half the night listening to Damon's band. She could type everything down the following day, now she just wanted to get some well-earned sleep.

Suddenly, she felt someone join her on the bed. She resisted the urge to once again roll her eyes, instead opting to turn around.

"Can't you just knock?" She asked, smiling drunkenly.

Damon shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?"

He snaked his arms around her waist, bringing his head to the crook of her neck. Elena sighed happily, enjoying the contact, before crashing down to reality. Swiftly, she kicked him hard. Damon yelped in pain, looking at her with his best puppy eyes.

"What was that for?" He asked, pouting.

Elena tilted her head, exasperated. "That was for kicking me this morning."

Damon snickered. "You should've seen your face."

"Very funny." She smacked his chest.

"Poor little girl," He purred in her ear. "Do you want me to kiss it better?"

He slid his hand up her thigh, past her leather skirt. "Of course...I can think of better places to kiss."

"And I can think of a better use for your mouth than speaking." She breathed out.

"Likewise." He murmured.

Damon kissed the inside of her thigh, causing her to shiver. He was so close to where she wanted him. He trailed a path up to her panties with his tongue, causing her to wriggle. He gripped her hips firmly.

"Though I do think I should get something in return..." He raised his head and looked at her seriously.

Elena's chest heaved as she worked to maintain her control on the situation. "What?"

"Don't go out with Elijah." He stated seriously.

Elena started laughing hysterically, even as he glared at her. "What!"

"I mean it." Damon lowered his voice.

Elena had to wipe a few stray tears from her eyes, finding endless amounts of humor in his behavior.

"So let me get this straight," Elena continued giggling. "You don't want me, but no one else is allowed to have me."

"Correction," Damon raised his eyebrows, moving up her body until they were only inches apart. "No one else is allowed to have you, BUT me. You're mine, and I'd wager that's how you like it."

She started feeling homicidal again. She pushed him off her. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but I'm not yours, nor will I ever be. What we have is sex. That's all, remember? You don't get to tell me who I can or can't spend time with, or act as if you have some claim on me."

Damon huffed from the floor. "I never took you for that kind of a girl, you know. I always knew you were kind of a bitch, but I didn't think you'd just hop from one bed to another."

Elena gasped, outraged. "You're a pig. I'm not planning on sleeping with Elijah, and frankly, you really should shut up before that statement starts applying to you again as well."

He smiled at her gently. "Wait, so you're not kicking me out?"

She sighed, rolling her eyes yet again. "Didn't I tell you to stop talking?"

Damon got up and straddled her once more. "You did, but I was never really one to follow rules."

He kissed her roughly, making a fist with some of her hair. He breathed in her scent. Elena moaned as he slid down her body, placing kisses on her as he went. He zipped down her skirt, leaving her in only her white panties.

Damon chuckled as he felt the wet material between his fingers. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say fighting gets you hot."

"You know what else gets me hot?" Elena growled, agitated. "Complete and utter silence."

He shook his head, grinning widely. "Really? See I happen to think you're a very verbal person, seeing as you're a reporter and all that. Wanna test that theory?"

Elena furrowed her brows. All of a sudden, she gasped as she felt him slid her panties smoothly down her thighs. He trailed a finger up to her molten core, sliding it between her wet folds.

"Luckily for you..." Damon smirked. "I'm very good with words."

She whimpered as he thrust his index finger into her roughly. He chuckled, feeling her inner walls squeeze him.

"Have I told you how much I love this body?" He whispered, moving his finger inside of her.

"I think you might've mentioned it before." Elena sighed.

Damon chuckled. "Mmhm. I don't think you realize just how much. I love your breasts, and the way they fit perfectly in my hands. So lovely."

To demonstrate, he palmed her through her tank top, before she helped him and threw it off her body completely. He lowered his head with a wink, spreading her legs further.

He swiped his tongue between her center, kissing her. "I love the way you gasp whenever I touch you right here..." He sucked on her nub, before biting down on it gently. "And you taste so good."

Elena shivered, trying to stay still, yet failing miserably. If he would only keep touching her...Damon plunged another finger into her heated core, causing her to scream out. God, she could only hope that no one would hear her.

Damon started drawing circles on her, enjoying the way her hips shook. "I love the way your tight little hole feels around me. Can you feel my fingers, pumping inside of you? Just imagine it's me, pounding your wet slit. Can you do that?"

Elena nodded, as it was all she could do. "Damon..."

He curled his fingers inside of her, hitting that spot inside of her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

He laughed wryly. "You know what else I fucking adore? The way you fight me, there's such fire in you. It's delicious."

Damon continued moving his fingers inside of her, thumbing her clit at the same time. Her hips were nearly bouncing off the bed, as she dangled on the precipice of her orgasm.

"And most of all..." He whispered, licking her center between words. "I love the way you look when you come for me."

Damon raised his head, simultaneously pinching her clit. Elena came with a loud whimper, as he held on to her hips to steady her. He bent down to lick her again slowly, before coming back up to pet her hair. Elena looked at him for a moment, before slapping his hand away.

She tugged on his pants, whining as she couldn't get the zipper down. He chuckled, before aiding her. He chuckled low, before lending her a hand. With the added effort, she was able to push his pants down, straddling him immediately.

Her brown curls enveloped them as she bent down to kiss him, moaning as she tasted herself on his lips. It was positively sinful, and she loved it. She bit on his lower lip, tugging at it with her teeth. She grinned as he groaned, grinding himself against her hips.

Elena slid her hand between their bodies, until she felt his hard length between her fingers. She curled her fingers around him, sliding her hand up and down his skin. She laughed lightly as he thrust into her palm.

She straddled him, positioning the tip of his penis at her entrance. With one last look, she sank down on to him, maddeningly slow. As he was finally seated inside of her, she began to move on him. Slowly, she rode him, caressing the planes of his chest with her hands.

With a growl, he flipped them over so that he was on top. He grinned at her as she saw her pouting. "Sorry, Princess, I think it's my turn to be on top."

Damon slid into her hard, and they both groaned in unison at the change of angle. Elena squeezed her inner muscles around him, wrapping a leg around his waist for added support. He grabbed both of her wrists in his hands, trapping her underneath his body, as he began moving at a brutal pace.

He moved on top of her, grinding his hips against hers with every thrust. She sank her hands into his hair, feeling the texture between her fingers. He entered her, over and over, sinking deeper and harder into her. Elena bit her lip to keep from crying out, feeling beyond full.

Damon buried his face near her neck, licking her earlobe, before nibbling on it gently. She shivered, feeling his teeth and cock worship her, the mixed sensations causing her heart to flutter. She couldn't help herself, kissing his cheek softly.

He looked at her strangely, before impaling her on him once more, and swallowing down her scream in a scorching kiss. She couldn't focus on it, as he made sure to hit her tiny bundle of nerves with every punishing move he did.

She raised her hips, meeting him halfway every time. She couldn't get enough of this, of him. She was in heaven. Just as she could feel her muscles tense, she felt him pulsate inside of her, and she let herself go. She brought his face to hers, kissing him, as they came simultaneously, locked together.

Elena kissed him gently for a few more minutes, before releasing him with a loud yawn. Damon smirked at her.

"Did I wear you out?" He asked happily, snaking his hands around her waist.

Elena snuggled into him, before remembering the situation, and shrugging his hands off her. She turned around to meet his dejected face with a glowing smile.

"I'm just tired." She smiled. "Was this it or did you want something more?"

With Elijah's words ringing in her head, she steeled herself. Sex was sex, but that only meant that she needed to work harder to keep her own emotions at bay. True, she wanted him to admit that there was...Something more there, but she knew giving into his every whim wasn't the way to get there.

Damon looked at her blankly, before nodding and picking up his pants. Slipping into them, he zipped them up and looked down at her. Elena worked to keep her face looking serene. He bent down and kissed her on the lips, pulling on her upper lightly.

As he came up for air, he gave her a half-smile that made her want to invite him back to bed and forget everything she'd just planned. There was a spark between them. An undeniable, unbelievable spark. That would burn her if she'd let it, she reminded herself one last time.

"Thanks for the sex, sweetie." He mimicked her earlier words, and left her room.

As Damon leaned against her door, he sighed heavily. He really was screwed. Right then and there, he'd wanted to stay and hold her. He didn't do that. Or get jealous over Elijah fucking Smith. She was messing with his head, more than anyone else ever had.

He wanted her, yet whenever he tried telling her, something else entirely came out. He cursed himself to the depths of hell. No wonder she wanted nothing to do with him, he was a mess. Not even Freud could crack his coconut.

Did he want her though? He wasn't sure. He only knew that he wanted her to want him, though he was failing spectacularly at that. He shook his head, feeling a migraine coming on. He wouldn't compromise himself just to win her approval, that was for sure.

Just as he was beginning to cool down, the door opposite hers, Caroline's door to be exact, opened up. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, Stefan? I know you're comfortable with your sexuality, but I don't think blondie's lipstick is going to help with the rumors." He remarked dryly, looking at his disheveled brother.

Stefan smiled at him goofily, holding up his t-shirt in his hands victoriously. "I'm chivalrous, did you know that?"

Stefan skipped off happily towards his own room, and Damon rolled his eyes. Caroline finally had someone who cared about her. Stefan had replaced his blue balls with red lips. Elena was happier than ever. And him?

He was fucked.

* * *

><p>AN: Phew! I promised a few people I'd update today and I did it! Yay me! And look, I included smut. *Throws cookies* Have I told you guys how much I adore Stefan and Caroline? Because I do. They're my favorite kind of comic relief LOL! In case anyone's wondering, the songs featured are by Maroon 5. Anyways, things are getting interesting...Me thinks. Would you agree? Hope everyone has a great week! xoxo<p>

P.S. Arwen1 surprised me with this great banner she'd requested for this story. The link is at the bottom of my profile, do check it out :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

><p>"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," Elena scrunched her face as she felt someone petting her hair.<p>

She cracked open an eye and saw that she was indeed lying on top of him. And if she wasn't mistaken, she was also slightly drooling on his naked chest.

"Damon, what the hell?" She muttered. Was privacy a thing of the past? Ever since she'd began this twisted game of theirs a few days ago, he seemed to invade her space more and more freely.

She grabbed her phone to check the time, and ignored the date, before proceeding to punch him. "6 am? You have nothing better to do at 6 am?"

Damon shrugged and grabbed her hands, preventing her from further damaging the goods. "I never went to sleep."

He laid on top of her and nuzzled her cheek, yawning loud. Elena frowned as she properly took in the sight of him. "Are you drunk?"

"It's a lifestyle choice, really." He deadpanned, managing to muster an adequate amount of sarcasm into his slurred speech.

She groaned. She didn't like this. This wasn't what she did. She didn't sleep with random men, let alone have them booty call her at six in the fucking morning. Though it wasn't as if she could act surprised, this was right up his alley.

"Damon, I'm tired." She sighed. She didn't know what else to say to him. Talking to him was like talking to a very pretty wall.

He mumbled something incoherent and grasped her body even tighter against his. Burrowing his head deeper into the crook of her neck, he went still with a contented sigh. Elena poked him in the ribs, to no avail. He was dead to the world.

"You have got to be kidding me." Elena said to herself.

On the upside, he was a lot easier to tolerate when he wasn't talking. On the downside, she wasn't a stuffed animal and his hold on her was more than a little suffocating. She pushed her hands against his firm chest and shoved him off her. He rolled over to to the other side of the bed with a yawn.

Elena rolled her eyes as she got up. She wasn't going to sleep in the same bed as him. For one thing, he was annoying. For another, _acute assholeitis_ had to be contagious. Walking over to her bag, she picked up the Metallica t-shirt she'd taken from him and slipped it over her underwear. She had to admit, it was the comfiest thing she'd ever stolen from anyone.

Elena turned around, looked him over once more, and shook her head. He was such a mess and so was she. The more time they spent together, the less sure of herself she grew. What kind of a person was she, sleeping with a guy who treated her like dirt? She worked to remind herself that she was the one who was using him. At least that was how she justified it to herself.

And he'd been right the first time, they were hot together. What they had wasn't even comparable to the safe boredom of what she'd had with Matt. Elena cringed as she realized how few pleasant memories she actually had of her time with him. More than that, she shuddered at the thought of her arrangement with Damon being the better alternative.

She shrugged as she walked out of her room. Damon was an arrogant prick, but at least he was honest about it. She could deal with that. She leaned against her door and yawned. She really did need to get back to sleep.

"Elena?"

She opened her eyes wearily. "Stefan."

"What are you doing up so early?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.

Elena raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing wearing a pink Hello Kitty bathrobe?"

Stefan opened his mouth comically a few times, though no sound came out. Elena decided to put him out of his misery and raised a hand to stop him.

"You know what, I don't wanna know. Whatever _this_ is, it's between you and Kitty. Well, Caroline."

He chuckled nervously and raked a hand through his spiky hair. "Sorry, I didn't mean to...Is that Damon's shirt?"

Elena blushed and Stefan shook his head with a sigh. "I don't wanna know. Where are you headed?"

"Your ass of a brother commandeered my bed. I need a place to sleep so..." Elena trailed off.

"If he gives you shit for it, let me know and I'll kick his ass." Stefan said glumly and opened the door to Damon's room for her.

Elena nodded and smiled awkwardly, doubting Stefan's ability to kick a fruit fly's ass, let alone his brother's.

Just as she was about to walk through the door, she turned around as she heard Stefan call out her name.

"Yeah?" She asked.

Stefan looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry about Damon."

Elena laughed and waved her hand. "Stefan, you shouldn't have to apologize for him. He's responsible for his own behavior."

He shrugged. "I know. I'm just sorry that you never get to see the side of him of that I do. Or at least used to."

Elena nodded, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. He gave her one last smile before disappearing into Caroline's room. She walked inside Damon's room, slamming the door shut, and falling down on his bed.

Involuntarily, she sighed happily as she smelled him on the sheets. Realizing what she'd just done, she groaned pitifully and covered her eyes. She was calm, cool, and collected. Except when she was around him. Simultaneously, he seemed to bring out the best and the worst in her.

It was no use thinking about it, she decided. She didn't miss what she had with Matt, and Damon was just a temporary distraction. She'd been lonely when she met him and he was perpetually bored. Those were the only things that kept them coming back to each other. That was why he was currently sleeping off a drunken night of debauchery in her bed, even though he hated her.

Elena bent down and grabbed his comforter off the floor, wrapping it around her lithe form tightly. She settled back on to his bed, placing her head on his pillow. She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. She felt less alone.

"Happy birthday, Elena." She muttered sleepily to herself, willing the ghosts of her past to leave her alone.

* * *

><p>He heard a knock. "Elena, are you in there?"<p>

He cursed under his breath. Why was Malibu Barbie looking for Elena in his room? Elena never slept over, not that he was complaining.

The door opened as Caroline continued rambling. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but I can't find my robe anywhere. It's pink and has Hello Kitty on it...Eww!"

Caroline jumped backwards as she finally laid her eyes on him. Damon winced as her hyena-like shrieking reached his ears.

"Calm the fuck down, Caroline." He hissed at her, clutching his ears.

"Where's Elena?" She yelled, stomping on her feet.

"How the fuck should I know?" He yelled back at her.

"Because you're in her bed. Oh God, you didn't kill her and shove her under the bed, did you?" Caroline gasped, bending down to check under her bed.

Damon rolled his eyes. "I'm not in her room, you..."

Okay, so he was possibly in her room. Or then his taste was a bit more on the androgynous side than he'd ever noticed, what with all the make-up lying around.

He sighed. "Why am I in her room?"

Caroline shrugged. "Who knows, I just need to know where she is. We had plans for today since it's her..."

"Her what?" Damon asked, genuinely curious. He didn't know much about Elena or the things she did. Then again, it wasn't as if she was interested in sharing.

"Her turn to buy drinks." Caroline flipped her hair over her shoulder nervously. "Ugh, do you own any shirts?"

He chuckled and let his head drop down on to Elena's pillow. It smelled nice. "If memory serves, you never had a problem with my attire in the past."

Caroline flopped down on to the bed next to him, crossing her legs under his scrutiny. She slapped him playfully. "It's not nice to dwell on past mistakes."

"Can we dwell on your current ones then?" Damon grinned.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what you're talking about, Damon, but I..."

"Jeez, put the claws away." He laughed. "I'm kidding."

"Good, because you're hardly one to talk." Caroline said seriously. "I happen to be one of the rare few who actually understand your type, you shouldn't try to push me away."

Damon nodded, letting her words sink in. "I'm a dick."

"You don't hear me objecting." She giggled.

Their heads turned towards the door as they heard a knock. Stefan stepped in, looking wary as he took in the sight of them.

"Hey," He said slowly, waving at them awkwardly.

"What is with the creepy stalker entrance?" Caroline sighed. "Come over here, you dork."

Stefan shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Don't take it personally, Barbie, Ken doesn't have the right parts for this thing." He smirked.

Caroline slapped him again. "If you're going to be mean...Who am I kidding, it's not like you know how to be nice."

She bounced off the bed and grabbed Stefan's hand, enjoying the way he immediately blushed as she did.

"Come on, sweetie, let's leave your grumpy big bro to wallow in the angst of his own existence. Oh and Damon, if you see Elena, tell her I'm looking for her."

"Wait, why are you guys looking for Elena? She's in Damon's room." Stefan stated nonchalantly.

"What!" Damon and Caroline yelled out in unison.

Stefan looked at them exasperatedly. "You know...Because your drunken idiot of a self 'commandeered' her bed and she had nowhere else to go?"

Damon frowned. Had he really done that? "I don't remember."

"That's usually what happens when one downs all their booze in one night." Caroline jumped in.

"Yeah, you should probably apologize." Stefan added.

"Stefan, don't tell him what to do, he'll never do it now!" Caroline whined.

Damon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He couldn't decide whether they were perfect or awful together.

"Just leave before you're forced to engage in a murder-suicide," Damon stated seriously, crossing his arms over his chest.

He let himself relax once he heard them continue their bickering outside his...well, Elena's room. God, what had he been thinking? Had he really just kicked her out of her own bed? Why? He groaned as he was hit with flashbacks.

So instead of kicking her out...He'd tried to force her to cuddle with him? He grimaced, feeling uneasy. He should stop getting drunk, that was it. Clearly, he hadn't been in his right mind when he'd entered her room. Damon smirked as he realized that he'd probably been looking to get laid. That was a scenario he could live with.

Slowly, he got off the bed with the intention of reclaiming his room. He cringed as he realized how awful that sounded, even to himself. It wasn't her fault as much as he wanted it to be. He pulled open the door to his room and stopped to look at her.

She looked so...peaceful. Damon shook his head with a tiny smile. She was beautiful, dressed only in his shirt and grasping his comforter for dear life. She looked like she belonged there. He walked over to the edge of the bed, deciding to wake her up gently. He bent down next to her head and inspected the smooth fall and rise of her chest.

Before he knew what was happening, he was poking her in the ribs. "Get up."

Damon mentally slapped himself. He hadn't planned on serving her breakfast in bed, but he hadn't meant to be that harsh. She just made it hard for him to be nice to her, for reasons unbeknownst to him.

Elena opened her eyes and glared at him. "Seriously? This is your way of waking me up? Again?"

"You like it," He crooned, jumping into bed with her.

He sighed happily as he grasped her waist. After a moment of fighting him, she let her body mold against his as he began placing kisses on her bare skin.

"In fact," He said between kisses, "I think you can't get enough of me."

She was the best hangover cure he'd ever tried, hands down. He regretted thinking that a few seconds later, as her hand collided with the back of his head.

"You suck." Elena stated plainly, wriggling her body underneath his.

"Not yet, but your wish is my command," He waggled his eyebrows before trying to attack her skin again.

Elena pushed her hands against his chest to stop him. "No, you suck."

"Why?" He pouted and gave her his best puppy eyes. "I'm delightful, if you ask me."

"Don't turn this into a joke," Elena slapped him again. "I'm not a toy, even if you are using me."

"Not even if you're my favorite toy?" He smiled at her innocently.

His face fell as he realized that she wasn't kidding around. "I don't know what you want me to say."

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Yes, you do. Two words, seven letters. Figure it out."

"I'm..." He tried, "Sorry?"

Her face burst into a wide, radiant smile, as she grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. Flabbergasted, he simply stared back at her, waiting for her to be finished. She giggled as she took in his expression.

"What do you know, you can learn!" She laughed.

"Wait...Am I your naughty student, Ms. Gilbert?" He smirked at her devilishly. "Because I do think there are a few things you could teach me...Or punish me for."

He grasped the bottom of her shirt and began playing with the edge of her panties. She shivered beneath him, placing her hands on to his muscular biceps. He let his fingers ghost over her thighs, teasing her as usual.

"Just stop...Don't tease." Elena moaned, needing to be in contact with him.

"But it's just so much fun." He grinned, continuing to toy with the elastic material of her panties.

Elena cursed under her breath. She grabbed his hands in hers and used her thighs to flip them over. He rolled his eyes, not finding the energy to object, seeing as this was how they always ended up.

Straddling him, she pushed her hips against his. Slowly, she moved her head down to meet his and caught his lips in a searing kiss. She let her tongue roam the planes of his mouth, trying to possess as much of him as she could.

"So...You're the kind of naughty boy who likes games, Damon?" She whispered against his lips.

Moving her hand down his body, caressing his smooth muscles, she finally reached her destination. Damon nodded as she started playing with the buttons of his jeans. Undulating her hips against his, she could feel him grow hard beneath her. She smiled, feeling more wicked than ever.

"What kind of games do you like, Damon?" She brought her mouth to his neck, licking his pulse point. She bit down on his skin lightly, smiling as she saw goosebumps forming almost immediately.

He hissed as she violently popped the button on his jeans. What was wrong with his self-control lately?

"I like...the kind of games you like." He moaned, needing her to keep doing what she was thinking. Not that he had any clue what she was going for.

Elena slipped her hand into his jeans and wrapped it around his hard, aching cock. She smiled as he closed his eyes and breathed heavily. "You know, Damon, I'm not really a fan of games."

She started moving her hand up and down his length, changing her pace as she went, wanting to keep him on his toes.

"You're not?" He rasped out.

She shook her head, kissing him again, swallowing his loud moans. "Not really. But there's one game I really like...I think we should play it together."

Damon thrust into her palm and Elena couldn't help but moan herself, getting a kick out of dominating him. Even if he was a perverted scum bag, he did make her feel like a woman.

"And what game is that?" He palmed her breast through her shirt, enjoying the way she moved on top of him, getting off on the situation.

She moved herself seductively against him, laying her body against his. Bringing her mouth close to his ear, she sucked on his earlobe and breathed heavily against his skin.

"Tag." Elena giggled. "You're it."

He sputtered helplessly on the bed as she jumped off him. She smoothed the creases off her (his) shirt, ignoring the way he was glaring at her, highly unsatisfied with their game. She walked over to his door and turned around to smirk at him.

"Lesson one, Damon – A good student always follows instructions. Next time, don't dish it out if you can't take it."

She walked out swaying her hips, feeling more and more confident that the day would turn out okay.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday, Elena!" Bonnie yelled into the phone enthusiastically.<p>

Elena giggled. Despite the way it had began, her day had turned out okay. After some extensive girl time with Caroline, she'd talked on the phone with Jeremy for a while, before calling her best friend. Sitting in the common area, she felt happier than she had in a while.

"I miss you so much," Elena said earnestly. It was the truth. Bonnie was a safe haven and she often relied on the other girl's judgment when her own failed her. She rolled her eyes, thinking that Bonnie should've slapped her over the head a few months ago.

"I miss you too!" Bonnie laughed. "How's life as a groupie treating you?"

"You and Jeremy have got to give it a rest. I'm not a groupie." She rolled her eyes.

"So you say, but you're using that voice." Bonnie replied to her matter-of-factly.

"What voice?" Elena asked.

"Your 'My best friend is psychic and will know I'm lying' voice."

Elena cringed. No one should be that perceptive. "I'm not lying...Sort of."

It was true. She wasn't anyone's groupie, but she still felt dirty. Bonnie chuckled on the other end and Elena smiled gently. This was what she needed to stay sane. Friends and family.

"Okay then, just let me know when you're ready to talk." She sighed dramatically.

Elena nodded to herself. "I will...It's just...Everything's so different here."

"I was meaning to ask you about that...How's today been?" Her friend asked her gently.

Elena bit her lip. It was the question she'd been dreading all day long. The question Caroline wouldn't know to ask, and the question that Jeremy would never dare to. Bonnie was different, it wasn't in her to ignore the pink elephant in the room.

"I think it's been easier in a way. No one knows about what happened, so I can just pretend like everything's okay."

"Oh Elena," Bonnie sighed. "You don't have to pretend with me. You shouldn't."

Tears welled in her eyes, though she quickly tried to wipe them away. "It's been 7 years, I should be over it."

"Your parents died, Elena. It's not something you get over. Let me be there for you."

Elena shook her head. "I know you're right, I just...Hate being that girl. The one who everyone pities, the one who pities herself. The one whose boyfriend found her to be boring, as if he expected her to be the perkiest orphan on the block."

Bonnie was quiet for a moment. "Matt never deserved you, and you know it."

She rolled her eyes. "Yet he's the one dating some blonde bimbo, while no one decent wants to touch me with a ten foot pole."

"No one decent?" Bonnie asked.

Elena wanted to punch herself for slipping up. "I didn't mean anything by that."

"Okay." She could hear Bonnie's skepticism in her voice.

She felt bad, she really did. It wasn't as if she got to talk to Bonnie that often. "I know you're right, about all of it. I just need to get through today and everything will be okay tomorrow. It always is."

"There's that unwavering Gilbert optimism that makes everyone want to tear their hair out," Bonnie joked.

Elena let out a wet laugh. "Gee, the birthday girl just can't catch a break."

"It starts with you, 'Lena. Let yourself off the hook." Bonnie said.

Elena nodded and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "I'll try. You know I love you, right?"

"Even when I'm a bitch to you and make you cry?"

"Especially then," Elena giggled. "I'll call you later, okay?"

As she hung up, she slumped down on the couch with a sigh. Talking to Bonnie was exhausting since she couldn't hide anything from her. She picked up her purse off the floor and grabbed her wallet. Opening it, she pulled out a creased photograph.

She smiled as fresh tears welled up in her eyes. The picture had been taken on her 17th birthday, a year before they died. There she was, happier than ever, nestled between her parents. She remembered how excited she'd been that day, since Matt had just asked her out.

Her mom had immediately started planning the date with her, while her dad had been less than pleased. He'd told her that Matt wasn't good enough for her, that no one was. That as long as he was alive, no boyfriend of hers would ever treat her poorly. That he'd make sure of it.

Tears streamed down her face. She carried those memories of them wherever she went, holding on to them for strength. She and Jeremy were alone, and the anniversary of their death was always the hardest day of the year for them.

Usually, they spent the day together, looking at old pictures or just exchanging memories. This year, they didn't even have that, and it was all her fault. She shook her head. It wasn't right to place the blame on her entirely. It was his idea to trap her into coming along, she thought resentfully.

As she was walking towards her room, more tired than ever, someone grabbed her and pinned her against the wall.

"Got you," He whispered against her ear.

"Damon, let go of me." She said through gritted teeth. She wasn't in the mood. Thinking about her parents had only served to remind of her of who she was, and the standards she was trying to live up to.

"I think you said something before about how I shouldn't tease you...Just giving you what you want, babe." He kissed her collar bone.

Elena pushed against him hard, punching his chest, until he finally had to let go of her. As he did, his cocky smile was replaced by shock as he took in her desolate face.

"This is not what I want, Damon." Her lower lip quivered, before she bolted towards the abandoned ER.

Damon stood there, unsure of what to do. A sudden feeling of unease took over him, until he finally felt like he couldn't breathe. He felt sick seeing her cry. None of his other conquests had ever cried in front of him. Had he done that to her?

Someone tapped him on his shoulder. He turned around, expecting the worst, finding his expectations to be realistic. Caroline stood before him, her lips pursed and her eyes filled with rage. He was sure she was going to punch him, until she extended her hand to him. Why was she giving him a candy bar?

As he remained still, she picked up his hand and forced him to take it. She looked at him expectantly. "You broke it, you fix it."

"How?" He asked, holding the candy bar in wonder.

Caroline shook her head. "Stop being your own worst enemy. Go in there, tell her you're sorry, and give her the candy bar."

"Why?" He pointed at the stupid thing in his hand, feeling ridiculous.

Caroline shrugged. "Everyone needs presents on their birthday."

"It's her birthday?" He asked quietly.

Caroline nodded. "Whatever you do, don't be a dick to her or you'll lose yours."

With that, she turned around and exited the bus, leaving him alone with his thoughts once more. As he stood there, all the different voices inside his head reached an unanimous decision - He did need to apologize, no one deserved to cry on their birthday. No matter how bitchy they were or how delicious they smelled.

With a shake of his head, he began walking towards the door to the ER, armed with a fucking candy

bar. As he reached the door, he placed his head against the solid wood. What was he going to say to her? He didn't know her well enough to comfort her, but the sight of her crying had shook him to his core. What was it about her? What made her so goddamn special?

He cracked the door open and peeked inside. There she was, crying her eyes out, and looking more beautiful than ever. It was just as he'd expected, except for one thing; She wasn't alone. She was sitting at the back of the room, hugging his drummer tightly, as he played with her hair.

As far as he could tell, Elijah was whispering to her, trying to calm her down. A few moments later, she was only sniffling a bit, but she still wouldn't let go of him. Damon looked at the scene before him, apathetically, almost as if he was seeing it in a dream.

He closed the door in a daze, still holding on to her birthday present. He closed his eyes wearily as he realized that he wanted to be on the other side of that door. It didn't matter though, she'd found someone to comfort her that actually fit her personality. She wasn't complaining, and he really didn't do brooding.

Aiming carefully, he tossed the bar of candy into a nearby trash bin. It had been a stupid thought anyway, brought on by peroxide seeping into Blondie's brain. He walked out of the bus and breathed in the fresh air. With a smirk, he started heading towards the second bus, already feeling soothed by the loud music and drunken people.

What he needed was a distraction.

* * *

><p>AN: I am so sorry for that long wait! I've been so uninspired. A huge thanks to all my Twitter friends who've listened to my "I suck" speeches these last few weeks lol. Thank you to all of your support and reviews, they really helped me find my motivation :) The beginning of this chapter is, of course, a nod to the brilliant DE scene in last week's episode. Loved it! I don't have a lot to say about this chapter, but I hope someone out there liked it :) Have a nice week! *Throws cookies to her brilliant readers* xoxo<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p>Elena ran into the seemingly abandoned room, trying to wipe away the tears falling from her eyes. Get it together, she thought to herself. She couldn't let an event that happened nearly a decade ago reduce her to tears. She slumped down on to a nearby couch and took a deep breath.<p>

"Elena?"

She nearly screamed, looking around the room for the intruding voice.

"Elijah?" She gasped out as she finally located him, sitting alone in a dark corner. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled at her gently. "Entertaining myself. I think the better question is, what are _you_ doing?"

Before she could protest, he'd gotten up and made his way to her. He sat down beside her and encased her in his arms. She willingly leaned in, basking in the comfort. It had been a while since anyone had done that for her. After several moments of him whispering nonsensical words of comfort in her ear, she pulled back.

"I'm sorry," She wiped stray tears off her face. "I'm just all over the place today."

She was embarrassed more than anything. It wasn't like her to lose control like that. She was in charge, she had to be. She rolled her eyes. Trying to find herself had simply resulted in her emotions overpowering her.

Elijah studied her with his deep, impossibly perceptive eyes. She knew he saw something deeper in her anguish. Elena nodded and shrugged, feeling uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny of his gaze.

"You shouldn't apologize for being sad." He stated simply, giving her a shrug of his own.

Elena rolled my eyes. "The party's not much fun when the birthday girl is bawling her eyes out."

"It's your birthday?" Elijah asked, taking a moment to ponder the implications of it all as she nodded in confirmation. "That must suck."

Elena let out a watery giggle. "I'm sorry, did you just use the word 'suck'? What's happening to your perfect vocabulary?"

He whispered to her conspiratiorially, "I rather think I've been spending too much time with that rowdy blonde friend of yours."

"Caroline can be a little...Caroline." Elena conceded. "But her heart is in the right place."

"As is yours, darling." He looked at her pointedly. "What I meant to say before is that I can't imagine you'd want to spend your birthday in a place like this. Without your friends. Without anything, really. It''s okay to not be overjoyed."

"Do you want me to talk about it?" She asked timidly.

He laughed wryly. "I think that is entirely up to you."

"I'm not sure."

"Ok." Elijah answered her simply. "I'll still be here."

Elena smiled at him. Maybe she did need to talk, but as it was, she didn't know how to start. Not when it came to her parents, at least. God, she missed Jeremy. He'd understand.

"I know you probably don't want to talk..." Elijah searched for the right words as Elena groaned. "But Damon didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No!" Elena shook her head so fast she feared it would snap right off her head.

Against her better judgment, on top of everything else, she felt guilty. Guilty because of the way she'd hit him and run off. She should've explained to him...Explained what, a voice inside her asked. There wasn't anything to explain.

The rational side of her agreed. She could cry if she wanted to, it wasn't any of his business. Still, she couldn't forget the sight of his blue eyes turning sad as he caught a glimpse of her crying. She wanted to smack herself. Obviously, he hadn't cared. If he had, he would've been sitting next to her instead of Elijah.

Elena was shocked at her bitter musings. She was lucky to have someone like Elijah by her side. He was calm, gentle, and listened to what she wanted. He was everything Damon wasn't or ever could be.

How could anyone be so bipolar towards someone? One minute he was crawling into bed with her, not to have sex with her, but to simply lay beside her. The next...He was something else entirely, a person incapable of affection and compassion.

"Are you sure? Because the look on your face is telling." Elijah remarked.

"And what is it telling you?" Elena challenged him.

"That I should probably stab him with my drum sticks."

"Elijah!" She was mystified by the man sitting next to her. He was almost eerily detached, yet he was kinder than she thought possible.

"I could, just say the word." He gave her a tiny smile. She smiled back, unable to resist.

"You heard me scream at him, didn't you?" Elena sighed as he nodded in confirmation. "It was just...Stupid. I shouldn't have done that, least of all with him."

"Why?"

Elena raised an eyebrow. "Now that is something I don't want to talk about."

He raised his hands in surrender. "As long as you make sense of it in your own head. Damon can be a little...manipulative."

"He's not that bad." Elena shook his head. Okay, maybe he was. She could never tell with him. Everything was a puzzle wrapped inside a mystery concealed as a riddle. And now she was officially confusing herself as well.

"Really? So you think the way he treats everyone is acceptable?" Elena sighed, already disliking the way his choice of topic was hitting home.

"What I'm saying," She began wearily, "Is that he's honestly an asshole. It's your own fault if you expect anything else."

"As long as you're practicing what you're preaching." Elijah looked at her, quite obviously amused. He stood up and picked up his drum sticks off the floor.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked.

Uncharacteristically, he rolled his eyes with a smirk reminiscent of Damon's. "I need to get some sleep. And you should do the same."

She nodded. She did need sleep, seeing as she'd hardly gotten any lately, what with Damon harassing her every chance he got. Maybe she could go to sleep and just forget everything. That would be nice.

She stood up and without second guessing herself, hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and put his head on top of hers.

"Thank you," Elena whispered against his chest. "You're an amazing guy."

Elijah pulled back and looked into her eyes, shaking his head. "You shouldn't thank me. I'm your friend. If you need me, I'm here for you."

Elena felt her heart get filled with an unexpected warmth at his kindness. She couldn't help the question that tumbled through her lips. "I'm sorry, would you like to get a drink some night? My treat, something ridiculously girly."

"I don't think that would be such a good idea." Elijah said flatly.

The air left the room as her mood changed from depressed to uncomfortable. Perhaps she'd misread his signals. "Oh."

Elijah let go of her and walked over to the door, before stopping you. "The great thing about being in the shadows is that one gets to observe other people. You're smart, Elena. Think about what you want. I might play the drums for him, but I won't play second fiddle to Damon."

"I'm not..." Elena began. "He's not..."

Elijah laughed, cutting her off. "I'm not judging you, dear."

"Then what are you doing?"

"Stopping you from making a mistake. You just defended Damon not once, not twice, but three times during a 10 minute conversation."

Elena looked down at her shoes, unable to speak up. She hadn't even realized she'd been defending him. Why had she done that?

"I'm attracted to you." Elijah said, the air between them crackling with electricity. "But I want you, and right now all you could give me is your body. Goodnight, Elena."

Standing in the middle of the deserted room, Elena started laughing quietly to herself. This was by far the most depressing birthday she'd had after her parents' death. What was wrong with her? The more decisions she made, the more off course she felt. Why had she thrown herself at Elijah? Why had she defended Damon so vehemently? And why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

_Why?_

* * *

><p>He downed another shot, relishing the way the alcohol made everything blurry. Walking through the mass of people inside the crowded bus, he felt separated from reality. He was a predator on the hunt. Damon looked around at the scantily clad women surrounding him.<p>

He grimaced. Too blonde. Too skinny. Too much make-up. Everyone and everything was just absolutely wrong. It was as if he'd stepped into a house of mirrors where he couldn't see anything clearly. He knew it wasn't just the alcohol. Hell, the alcohol had nothing to do with it, seeing as it was just a part of his regular diet.

Damon fell down on to a couch, grabbing a bottle of scotch on the way. Bringing the bottle to his lips, he took a deep gulp without flinching. What was wrong with him? Wherever he went, whatever he did, whoever he was with...All he saw was her.

Elena fucking Gilbert. Even her name was annoying. And her legs that continued for miles, her intoxicating perfume, and that smile that lit up her whole face. He felt his stomach churn uncomfortably. It just wasn't fair. The way she got under his skin...It wasn't normal.

She was unique. Compared to her, everyone else seemed so bland. It was probably just the thrill of the chase, he thought. Damon rolled his eyes. Why did he do that? Why did he constantly lie to make himself feel better? It wasn't just about the chase.

He took another swig of scotch, unable to process the thoughts running rampant in his head. God, it was all her fault. He grimaced, feeling the need to punch himself. He'd done it again. He couldn't blame her for his ridiculous obsession with her. She made him...feel things. As it occurred to him, someone slapped him over the head.

"Damon!" Caroline screamed. "What part of 'Give the girl candy and man candy' was too difficult for your pea brain to process?"

"I feel like I'm missing some key information here," Stefan shifted awkwardly beside her.

"It's none of your business." Damon snarled at her, clutching the bottle in his hands tightly.

Caroline glared at him. "Yes, it is. She's my friend. And as hard as it is to believe it sometimes, so are you."

"I didn't do anything to her," Damon sighed. "She's just insane."

Stefan raised his eyebrows. "Really? Cut the crap already. You like the girl..."

"I don't."

"Do too." Stefan replied.

Caroline looked at both of them incredulously. "Okay what is your childhood trauma?"

Stefan laughed. "Funny you should ask, Damon used to..."

"Enough, Stefan." Damon said, his voice lethal. He didn't need Stefan blabbing to Barbie about his personal matters. His past was just that – past.

Caroline rolled her eyes and stomped her foot. "I really don't give a rat's ass. I just need you to get up and go to her."

"I don't need to do anything, Caroline." He said. "And besides, I tried. Elijah beat me to the punch. Speaking of, do you think we could detour to Jersey and dump his mangled body there?"

"Wait, Elijah was there?" Caroline asked.

"They looked pretty cozy too." He remarked with a huff. "She didn't need me. She said it herself, she doesn't want anything to do with me."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I always thought Stefan was the lost cause."

"Hey!" Both brothers yelled at the same time.

Caroline shrugged. "What can I say, I thought he was closer to reaching Narnia than coming out of that freaking closet. And you...You're just beyond hopeless.

"I don't know whether I should feel insulted or impressed." Stefan turned to look at Damon. "She's got you beat, bro."

Damon tried to stand up, only for the tiny blonde to push him back down on to the couch. He smirked up at her lazily.

"This brings back so many memories..." He purred.

Caroline shook her head with a sad smile. "No, it really doesn't. She's all that's been on your mind for who knows how long. And you know what? I don't mind. I'm happy and you should let yourself be happy too."

"I hate to steal your thunder, but everyone wants me, babe. Couldn't be happier about it." Damon raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"And yet Elena's the only one you want." Stefan said seriously.

The younger man turned to look at the blonde beside him and smiled gently. "And if you want something, you should stop pouting and whining. You should go for it."

Caroline punched him. "Hey! You were the one that made stalker eyes at me for over 6 months! I was the one that 'went for it' by flinging my naked body at you!"

They started arguing about who did what, quickly getting lost in a world of their own. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Stefan took initiative and kissed her to get her to stop hurling accusations at him. Damon looked away.

He felt...uncomfortable. That had been him nearly a month ago, but he had never felt close to what Stefan felt. Not with Caroline, at least. He stood up in a daze and walked past the embracing couple, knowing they wouldn't bother to stop him.

He sighed heavily as he reached the exit and breathed in the fresh air. He still felt suffocated. Cursing himself mentally, he gave up.

With heavy steps, he began approaching the other bus warily. He was more than a bit drunk, but he couldn't help it. He just needed to see her.

That would make everything better. That would give him the opportunity to try and make things better.

* * *

><p>Elena gasped as something heavy fell down next to her. She rolled her eyes, not bothering to turn the lights on. She punched him hard, enjoying the way he yelped in pain.<p>

"Shit, Elena, I'm sorry!" He yelled, raising his arms to defend himself. "I'm so fucking sorry, just don't be mad."

Her mouth fell open. Was he drunk? Or sober? Whatever it was, something was off about him.

"Damon, didn't we talk about this?" She sighed. "You can't just invade my privacy whenever you want."

He looked at her seriously, before bursting into hysterical, albeit drunken, laughter. Elena scowled at him. He was the same Damon after all. "What the hell is so funny?"

"I'm sorry, it's really me, not you." He laughed, clutching his stomach. "I'm trying to be nice, and all I can do is make things worse."

"The laughing doesn't help either," She quipped.

Elena slipped back between the covers. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling sleepy once again. "I'm tired, as usual. Look, can we just talk about this tomorrow?"

Damon shook his head. "Nope. Just...Could you please just stay awake and listen to me? I really am so sorry."

She nodded and he took it as a good sign. Exhaling, he began to speak. "Caroline told me...That it was your birthday...Shit, I don't know how to say this..."

Elena let her hand trail over the bedspread, until she found his and linked their fingers. She was curious, and more than that, she needed to hear something, anything, from him.

"I didn't like to see you cry, okay?" He yelled out exasperatedly. She flinched, and he rubbed circles on the palm of her hand, regretting his outburst. "I just don't know what happened, and I don't understand you, but I felt like shit. I would've come and talked to you sooner, but I just...I'm sorry, I'm not good at this crap."

"It's not crap," She whispered.

Damon looked at her with his big blue eyes. "Not to you, and that's what...troubles me."

Elena nodded. She knew they were in a unique situation. He didn't do women like her, and she certainly didn't do men like him, yet they were...doing each other. She grimaced at her crude thoughts, before she realized it was better than painting some idealized version of what was between them.

"I wasn't crying because of you." She finally said.

She felt instantly better. She didn't know why, but she needed him to know that.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Elena growled in frustration. She wanted to strangle him. It didn't matter whether he was rude or polite, all versions of him were annoying. "Why do you automatically assume everything is about you? Can't I just be sad for myself? Ugh!"

"I'm sorry, I should go, sleep well," He mumbled haphazardly and tried leaving her bed.

Elena winced. "Wait. I'm sorry, I can't always take my anger out on you. It makes sense that you blamed yourself for that."

He chuckled. "Yeah, it does."

She gave him a tiny smile. "I don't really know what to say."

"Me neither." He whispered playfully.

Elena couldn't help it, she blushed in the dark. She was thankful he couldn't see her, the last thing she needed was for him to realize just how lost she was. He was the one who had ruined her birthday before it even started, but he was also the one trying to put it back together for her.

Damon opened his mouth a couple of times, though no sound came out. Growing frustrated, she decided to bite the bullet.

"What is it?"

Elena focused her eyes to see better in the dark, and saw his eyes staring at the ceiling. She smiled. He was drunk and he wouldn't remember any of it in the morning, and that's what made it perfect.

"I just wanted to apologize for not getting you a gift." He mumbled quickly.

"I think you've done enough apologizing." Elena said quietly. She refused to address the fact that he didn't owe her a thing, not wanting to ruin the moment.

He nodded and let his head collide against the mattress. Laying next to her, he pet her hair gently. She knew he wanted to comfort her without words, so she let him be. She'd done enough talking for one day.

Ever so slowly, she moved closer to him until she could feel the heat emanating from his body. She let her forehead collide against his, as she brushed some of his hair away from his face.

"Just so you know," She hedged for a moment, "You're forgiven."

She couldn't see him clearly, but she wanted to believe she could imagine the expression on his face. In her mind, he was looking at her with a strange sense of wonder and...affection.

Maybe it wasn't that far out of reach. He had apologized to her, after all. In Damon's twisted world, that probably meant they were going steady. She wanted to giggle at her girly thoughts, only holding herself back to maintain her calm exterior. It was so easy to lose control with him, and she didn't want that.

He yawned slowly, breaking whatever spell she'd been under. "I should probably go. It's late and all."

Elena nodded with a tight smile. If she was honest with herself, she didn't want him to go, it was as simple as that. Beyond that, she didn't want to spend the night reflecting on how perfectly his body fit against hers, without getting to feel it too. She knew now that Elijah had done her a favor. He was amazing, funny, and most of all, emotionally attuned to her needs – She just didn't want him the way she wanted Damon. God, what was wrong with her?

He didn't move off the bed and she began to think he'd fallen asleep again.

"Hey, Elena?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

Damon sighed. "I really do think you're..."

He sighed again in frustration, attempting to find the right words. Elena decided to put him out of his misery after he'd been quiet for a while. She didn't need anything, she had...something already.

"It's okay." She whispered.

She wanted to curse him to the lowest depths of hell when he let out a loud snore. Did he have narcolepsy? She rolled her eyes. She was such an idiot. Unable to stop herself, Elena wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest.

She could just blame him for it in the morning.

* * *

><p>AN: Phew! Sorry for the long-ish wait! Really sorry! I'm also sorry for being way late on answering all the messages I get, that one is inexcusable...Literally. I kinda just zoned out on them since they built up more pressure for updating and that caused anxiety when it came to writing lol. It's 5am now but I'll get back to the PMs tomorrow :)<p>

Now...I would just like to remind everyone that you are reading this story voluntarily and that this is a story about Damon and Elena. If you hate one of the characters, I see no point in continuing further. I mean you can...But is it really fun? I write them both the way I choose to write them, and I won't compromise that. Just sayin'. That being said, I appreciate all the feedback I get, because a) It's nice, duh b) It helps me grow as a writer, I've really learned a lot from all of you.

Thank you so much again for all your support and help, it means a lot to me! *Throws cookies* (chocolate chip, out of request!)


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p>Elena raised her head off his chest as she heard her phone buzz. She picked it up and was shocked to see that it was almost noon. With a heavy yawn, she flipped it open.<p>

"What?"

"I know we're sort of family and all, but I'm still your boss, Elena." Alaric answered her, sounding more than a bit amused.

Her eyes bugged out. There she was, lying on top of her sleeping arch enemy (and snuggle buddy as of late), while talking to her boss. She resisted the urge to groan and worked to bring herself back under control.

"Sorry, Ric, I just woke up." She whispered.

"Why are you whispering?"

Elena wanted to smack herself. What was she supposed to say? That she didn't want to wake up the fiendishly sexy asshole monster from hell? That would go over well, with him either demanding an exclusive from her or firing her on the spot.

"I sort of lost my voice," She stammered, "I was out really late last night."

"Uhhuh." He sounded skeptic. "As long as you're still focused on your work, it's okay. The stuff you've sent us has been brilliant thus far."

Elena blushed. That wasn't a compliment she could take pride in. Her articles were all slanderous and overdramatized. She'd wanted to make Damon as miserable as liked to make her, but the more time she spent with everyone, the less sure of her opinions she grew. She didn't feel as comfortable talking shit about them anymore, but it was too late to change the style of her writing now.

"I'm glad you liked them," She cleared her throat.

"That's why I was calling you, actually. Do you have any current leads for stories?"

Elena shrugged. "Not really. Every show is the same. They play, girls scream, I sit in a corner and ponder the angst of my own existence."

He chuckled on the other end. "Don't be overdramatic, 'Lena. Listen, we're working on giving you something big for your last piece on the tour."

"Like what?" She asked.

Alaric was quiet for a long while. "I can't exactly tell you the specifics right now."

"Ric...Where are you getting your information?"

"It's better that you don't know." He simply said.

Elena nodded to herself. This was what tabloids did. They found out things that were meant to stay hidden. Chills ran through her body as she wondered what they'd found on Damon. Could it really be that bad? Did she want to know? This was exactly why she resented her job.

"As long as you know this is worth the risk." Elena relented.

"I got your back, no matter what happens." Alaric assured her. "I just wanted to prepare you. You'll know more once I get a few things confirmed. In the mean time, just keep doing what you're doing."

"Will do," She muttered, sparing a glance at Damon.

She said goodbye to Alaric and placed her phone back on her nightstand. She let her head drop against her pillow again. Why did she have to wake up? Waking up meant waking up next to the person wreaking havoc on her life, and worst of all, admitting that she liked it.

Wanting some revenge (and stress-relief), she kicked him between the sheets. He grunted in pain and opened his eyes.

"Well good morning to you too." Damon rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Is this how you always end your sleepovers?"

"You passed out on me. Again. That's not a sleepover." She looked at him pointedly.

Damon shrugged, before grinning toothily. "Wanna have a naked pillow fight then?"

He tried to lift himself up on to his elbows, only to slump back down. He clutched his head in pain, the vertigo kicking in. "On second thought, just bounce up and down in slow motion, I'll watch."

Elena rolled her eyes and jumped off the bed. "We're late. You have your soundcheck in a few hours and I'm supposed to be interviewing your brother."

He perked up at that. "What do you want with Stefan?"

"Hmm." She pretended to think it over. "Why would a reporter ever want to talk to the lead singer's brother, who is also his manager and pseudo-life coach? Now that is a good question."

"I can think of a better use for that mouth of yours." He smirked at her, placing his arms behind his head.

"Likewise." Elena said, earning a smile from him. "Singing."

Damon pouted, but reluctantly got up, stretching his muscles widely. Elena stole a glimpse from her peripheral vision, letting her gaze travel from his toned upper body all the way down to the...

"See something you like?"

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "You look wrecked. Cut back on the Cobain routine and we'll talk."

She huffed and walked over to her bag, grabbing some clothes. Quickly, she slipped into the peasant skirt Caroline had given her, and pulled a black tank top over her head. She frowned as she looked over at the pile of dirty clothes before her. She'd have to find a laundromat soon, or she'd run out of clean clothes entirely.

She sighed, and closed her eyes. Before she knew what was happening, she felt strong arms encircling her from behind. Instinctively, she leaned up against him. How could he be so wrong on so many levels, yet feel so good? It was baffling. It wasn't as if she liked him.

"Why are you always so mean to me?" Damon whispered against her ear, the hot air tickling her skin. Shivers ran down her spine, as her body reacted to his automatically.

His fingers trailed down her stomach, until they found the small patch of skin left exposed by her top. Her mouth went dry as she could feel him teasing her, ironically by not letting his hands slip further down her body.

"You're not nice." Elena said, trying to keep her voice balanced. She didn't want to give him any more ammunition.

"Yes, I am."

"When?" She couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He was ridiculous. Like a little child.

"Right now." His voice purred back at her.

Elena rolled her eyes. "You're not being nice, you're being persuasive."

She could feel his mouth quirk upwards against her skin. "And the two are mutually exclusive?"

She turned around, even as his arms refused to let go of her, lingering happily on her waist. She smiled nonchalantly as she looked at him.

"Damon, I don't know you. I can't like you. I won't, not when you try to me manipulate every me two seconds." Elena shrugged.

"Manipulate?" He furrowed his brows.

"Yes, manipulate." She sighed. "You're an ass and you piss me off, only to seduce me a while later. I'm not a windup toy."

He laughed heartily, though his eyes had lost their usual spark. "But you like it when I get you all...wound up."

Elena bounced on her toes and slapped him over the head. He yelped in pain, but she didn't care.

"Asshole."

"Fucking bitch."

"Tourette's." Stefan yelled through the door.

Elena rolled her eyes and strolled over to the door, opening it for him. He looked at them hesitantly before giving them both an awkward smile.

"I'm not even going to ask where your little Sid and Nancy imitation came from." Stefan said, visibly uncomfortable with being in the same room with them.

Damon huffed. "Sid stabbed Nancy with a kitchen knife. Just so we're clear, she's the abusive one in our relationship."

Elena crossed her arms. "There is no relationship, Nancy. By the way, Stefan, do you happen to have a knife I could borrow?"

Stefan snickered to himself. "Amazing. You two aren't in a relationship, yet you fight like you've been married for 50 years."

She chose to ignore the tension surrounding her, and grabbed her bag off the floor. "Come on, Stefan."

As they walked out of the room, she turned around to close the door, only to catch Damon staring at her once more. As he realized he was busted, he smirked and winked at her. She slammed the door in his face and walked away.

If she was honest with herself, she had no idea how to talk to him, how to act around him. If she let herself hope, she liked to think it was the case with him as well. Even if it wasn't true, and he was just using her, it made it easier.

* * *

><p>She clicked on her recorder and set it on the table in the ER. "What word would you use to describe your brother?"<p>

Stefan laughed at her. "Just one word? I'm sure you've realized by now that he's much too complicated to be summed up into one word."

Elena shrugged and nodded. "I'm not sure. I never am with him."

"Maybe that's the point." Stefan said. "Damon doesn't like people knowing his business."

"I can see that." She muttered. "What was your childhood like?"

Stefan froze and looked at her with suspicion in his eyes. "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" She asked, confused by his severe reaction to her question.

"Why would you ask me that?" He asked, agitated.

Elena smiled at him gently, trying to make him comfortable. "I was just wondering what Damon was like as a kid. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Oh." He stared blankly ahead. "He was just a regular kid, I guess."

"Okay. Are you close to your parents?"

Stefan cringed and she immediately regretted opening the subject. Even if it was her job, she never wanted to hurt anyone.

"No." He muttered. "Our parents are dead, have been for many years."

She felt her heart get filled with sympathy for him, for both of them. "I'm sorry. I know what that's like."

"Yeah, I don't like talking about it." Stefan sighed, letting her know once and for all that the subject was closed.

"I understand." Elena smiled at him, letting him know it was okay. "So anyway, do you like your job?"

"Do you?" He smirked.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Stefan shrugged. "We basically do the same thing. Cater to Damon's mood swings."

"I don't do that." Elena huffed. "Besides, you're his brother. You're supposed to care about him."

"Elena..." Stefan sighed. "You don't have to be like this. Not with me."

"Like what?"

He looked at her pointedly. "You care about him. You just don't want him to know that since you're scared of what'll happen."

"I don't care about him." Elena blurted out, before cringing at her own words. They sounded harsh, wrong somehow.

"Wanna try that again?" Stefan asked, visibly amused.

"I don't think I care about him." She relented. "I just don't hate him nearly as much as I should."

"Or at all." Stefan offered.

She threw her pen at his head and he laughed. "It's okay, Elena. I spent months trying to deny my feelings for Caroline. I just wouldn't want you to make the mistake I did. If you think he's worth it, you should go for it."

She bit her lip. "Is it worth it?"

Stefan grinned happily. "Yeah, it is. Just...Be yourself. I think he likes that."

"He likes it when I threaten to stab him?" She cocked an eyebrow.

Stefan laughed. "No, he likes that you're not scared of him."

Wasn't she? She wasn't sure if it was sheer stubbornness or bravery that kept her from breaking under his snide attitude. Maybe it was neither, and simply curiosity as to whether there was more to him.

"Like I said, I'm never sure of anything when it comes to him." She finally said.

Stefan stood up. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this short, I need to go and check on how the guys are doing at the club. Can we finish this some other time?"

She turned her recorder off and stood up. "Sure. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable before, when I asked you about..."

"You didn't." He cut her off with an awkward smile.

"Good." She nodded. "I consider you a friend, no matter what happens between your brother and I. I'd never want to hurt you."

He laughed. "Just don't let my brother drive you insane."

"Promise." She nodded with a smile.

He walked away, before stopping as he reached the door. "Lonely."

Elena turned around and furrowed her brows. "Excuse me?"

"The word to describe him. Lonely." Stefan looked serious, before nodding and exiting the room.

* * *

><p>Damon entered the dressing room and grabbed a beer. Soundcheck had been hell. The Lockwoods were more annoying than ever, and Elijah kept giving him judgmental looks from the corner. The only reason he hadn't told all of them to go to hell was because they were genuinely talented.<p>

He plopped down on one of the couches and took a long sip of his beer. He could almost feel his hangover make room for a new buzz. It didn't help, of course, that his head still hurt from Elena slapping him. He groaned in misery. He suffered from perpetual foot-in-mouth disease when it came to her.

Maybe...She was right. He wasn't nice. He just didn't feel like being rude, at least not to her, not anymore. It was just an automatic reaction to her being so unbelievably irritating in the most irresistible way possible.

"Salvatore!" Tyler Lockwood yelled out his name.

He resisted the urge to scream in frustration as he saw the Lockwoods enter the room, and sit down close to him. Just what he needed. Why did the powers that be hate him?

He raised his eyebrows. "Yes?"

"You still sleeping with Ace Reporter?" He asked.

Damon could feel his eyebrows travel up his forehead. "Come again?"

"Mason here would like to know if you're done with her." Tyler pointed at Mason, who was sitting next to him.

Damon wanted to grimace, but he kept his face blank. It was no use letting anyone know what he was thinking, or just how panicked he was. There was no way in hell either of those mutts would touch his girl. Even if he did want to wring her neck from time to time.

"Still having fun with her." He smirked, and winked as he took another sip of his beer.

"You exclusive then?" Mason spoke up, finally convinced he wouldn't get suckerpunched.

Well that was a loaded question if he'd ever heard one. What he had with Elena was...complicated, but they were definitely not exclusive, even if he hadn't slept with anyone else for weeks now. Had she? Probably not, and that's the way he liked it. Not that he ever thought about it.

"We're just hanging out, nothing serious." He shrugged, trying to feign nonchalance.

"So you don't mind if I take a shot at her?" Mason asked.

"Not at all." Damon smiled, trying to avoid twitching in his seat.

"Thank fuck," Mason sighed. "I've been waiting to tap that ass ever since she ditched her old clothes. Now she's practically asking for someone to..."

Damon mentally blocked out his voice and focused on finishing his beer. The faster he got drunk, the faster he could work on resisting the urge to bash their heads in.

"Man, can you imagine if we got her and Caroline..."

Mason cut Tyler off. "Nah, not gonna happen. Barbie's spoken for these days, believe it or not."

"Wanna share the new girl then?" Tyler grinned.

He could feel his blood boil with rage. "If you'll excuse me."

He stalked away from the room, slamming the door shut as he went. What was wrong with him? In a moronic attempt to relieve some of his anxiety, he kicked the wall. He groaned in pain and clutched his foot.

"Sorry to interrupt whatever you have going on here...But is everything okay?" A girly voice interrupted him.

He breathed heavily as he turned to face the blonde. "As a matter of fact, everything is screwed up."

"Okay then." Caroline nodded with a small smile.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked, his voice coming out rougher than he intended. "Sorry."

She waved her hand as if to shrug it off. "It's okay. I was looking for Stefan."

"He's here somewhere, probably brooding in a corner. If you see his journal, mind stealing it for me? Haven't had fun with that in ages." Damon quipped.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked hesitantly.

"Nope" He drawled, popping the 'p' obnoxiously.

"Always fun catching up." She skipped past him, moving towards the door at the end of the hallway.

Damon sighed heavily. This was the part he hated. "Caroline!"

She turned around, blonde curls haphazardly flying across her face. She smiled at him innocently, only adding to his misery.

"What?" She asked.

He looked up at the ceiling, before staring down at his shoes. "How are things with you and Stefan?"

She giggled. "Seriously? You usually tell me to go to hell and now you want to know about my relationship?"

"I don't know, just forget it." He muttered, slumping against the wall beside him.

"It's good." She admitted finally, with a small smile on her face. "Better than good, it's...Nice. God, I can't seem to find the words. But it doesn't matter, I know how I feel, and I know he knows it. That's the important thing."

He chuckled, and smiled almost involuntarily. "I'm really happy for you, for both of you."

Caroline looked at him suspiciously. "Seriously? Because if this is another one of your jokes like the time you stole my clothes in Florida, I'll kick..."

"It's not a joke," He interrupted her tirade earnestly, "I'm just genuinely happy for you. Look, I'll kill you if you ever repeat this, but...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I knew how you felt about me, and I took advantage of that. I'm glad you're happy, because you deserve it."

As he tentatively raised his eyes to look at her, he was shocked by the sympathy he saw reflected in her blue eyes.

Caroline smiled at him. "This suits you. For the first time, I feel like I'm talking to an actual person. Keep it up and she might actually fall for you too."

"What?" He asked nervously.

Caroline rolled her eyes and started walking away. "She's good for you, obviously, but you need to be good to her in return."

"Gotcha." He muttered under his breath, as he was left alone in the empty hallway.

Well that was easier said than done. Provoking her was just too much fun, he loved seeing that fire get lit behind her eyes. He just...Didn't want to push her away for good. For the first time in his life, he wanted someone to stay and just be there.

It was selfish of him, to force her to deal with him, but maybe with time...Yes, he just needed time. If she was trustworthy, they could...They just needed time.

* * *

><p>"La la la la la la," Elena rambled as she kept her fingers in her ears.<p>

Caroline waved a hand in front of her face, and Elena finally relented. The blonde looked at her pointedly, before taking another sip of her drink.

"Are you done?" She asked.

Elena grinned. "Are you done explaining to me why I saw Stefan running around in his boxers backstage?"

"It's not my fault he used to be a boyscout and got the ropes off his wrists faster than I thought he would." Caroline sighed, displeased.

"Seriously, new subject." Elena groaned.

This had become somewhat of a tradition for them. Whenever the band had a gig, the girls got together to drink and talk. It was nice, really, she'd never had a friend like Caroline before. The other girl was just crazy enough to bring out her wild side, that was for sure.

"Why not!" Caroline smirked. "How are things with you and Damon?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Be more obvious, you huge gossip. Surprisingly good. He's still annoying and insufferable, but what else is new?"

"Uhhuh." The blonde nodded. "He just seemed agitated when I saw him earlier today."

"Agitated?" Elena asked.

"Yup. He was exacting vengeance on a wall for some reason." Caroline downed the rest of her drink, and waved for the bartender.

"Seriously?" She was confused. He hadn't been in a bad mood in the morning. What had happened to him?

"Yeah, without going into any details for fear of immediate death, I'd say you did something to him." Caroline smirked at her.

Elena stared at her with her mouth open. "What! I never did anything to him! If he's having issues, it's certainly not because of me."

Caroline raised her hands in surrender, though the wicked smile never left her face. "Okay then. Clearly you're both a bit cranky today."

Elena glared at him. "Are they doing an encore or are they done for the night?"

The blonde shrugged. "Not sure. Oh wait, look, the DJ's going on stage. Guess the boys got sick of each other already."

"Yeah, what's the deal with them?" Elena asked. "It seems like there's no love lost there."

She felt someone place their arm on her shoulders, and she tensed up immediately. As she looked up, she saw that it was Mason Lockwood, a fact that made her more than a bit wary.

"Now what are you two girls talking about?" He drawled out smoothly.

Caroline raised an eyebrow at him. "We're talking about how Damon hates your fucking guts."

Elena cringed, not appreciating her friend's bluntness just then. To her surprise, the other man started laughing hysterically.

"Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual." Mason finally answered. "By the way, Elena, I've been meaning to apologize to you."

"For what?" She feigned ignorance. She wanted him to say it.

He hedged for a moment. "I had a bit too much to drink the last time we hung out, I never meant to disrespect you in any way. I'm so sorry. Can I buy you a drink to make it up to you."

Elena narrowed her eyes and scrutinized him. "Sure, why not."

"Great." He grinned wolfishly. "I'll be right back, I'm just gonna let Tyler know where I went."

After he left, Caroline immediately dropped the fake smile off her face. "Elena, what the hell?"

"He seems harmless enough, Care." Elena shrugged. "New experiences, new wardrobe, new Elena, remember?"

Caroline shook her head. "Just don't do this because of Damon, alright?"

"This has nothing to do with him." Elena said, trying to put weight behind her words.

The problem was, she still hadn't convinced herself.

* * *

><p>Damon slipped on a random t-shirt, and walked out of the dressing room. The gig had gone okay, despite the fact that he wanted to murder most, if not all of his band mates. Afterwards, he'd gotten stuck signing autographs for a bunch of hysterical girls. Had they always been so loud?<p>

He rolled his eyes at the memory. It was all so annoying. Who cared about the fame and fortune...He froze. He cared about the fame and the fortune, he always had. What was wrong with him these days? He shook his head, and exited backstage.

He cursed as he was bombarded with the pounding bass of some ridiculous techno song. After his ears adjusted, he started looking around, trying to spot a familiar brunette sitting somewhere.

She wasn't by the bar, or in the corner, or in any of her usual spots. He ignored the fact that he knew where she usually sat, it wasn't a big deal. Of course she would catch his eye from time to time, it was only natural.

He let his eyes roam across the dancefloor, until they damn near bugged out of his head. He'd located her, he just couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What the fuck..." He muttered.

There she was, dancing with him. Mason Lockwood. Had he entered an alternate universe where she was an idiot? How had she fallen for any of his crap? She was too trusting for her own damn good.

Suddenly, Damon heard someone whistle appreciatively behind him. He turned around and spotted Tyler grinning from ear to ear.

"He moves fast." He said with a nod towards the dancing couple.

Damon smirked, his face straining from the effort. "I can see that."

"All girls are so easy, man." Tyler leered as he looked at Elena. "You just give them some pretty words and they'll spread their legs for you. Mason's gonna have fun with that one. The quiet ones are always screamers, am I right?"

Damon closed his eyes, and chuckled a bit, attempting to stay calm. It didn't work. Approximately two seconds later, Tyler was on the ground clutching his nose. He cracked his bloody knuckles coolly.

As people started whispering around them, he spotted Mason and Elena running towards them.

"What the fuck, man?" Mason yelled.

Damon shrugged happily. "I don't know what happened, he just ran into my fist."

"He's fucking insane," Tyler groaned.

"Damon!" Elena yelled his name.

"Elena." He answered her, sounding bored.

She placed her hands on her hips and stared him down. He winked at her, enjoying the way she blushed immediately.

Mason pulled Tyler up. "Stay the fuck away from my nephew."

"As long as you and your nephew stay the fuck away from..." He turned to look at Elena, grinning widely. "People I associate with, I see no reason why you can't keep your jobs. How's that for exclusive?"

Elena stared at the three of them, confused, before yelping as her feet left the ground. He threw her over his shoulder, as she sighed, resigned to her fate.

"Hi, Mason, bye, Mason," He quipped, before happily skipping out of the club with his well-earned...booty.

He carried her inside the bus, and kicked the door to his room open. Placing her on his bed, he looked at her expectantly.

"So." He said.

Elena shrugged. "What?"

He bit his lip. "Yell, scream, stomp your foot."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Why? I don't understand what just happened."

"Yes, you do." Damon said flippantly, looking anywhere but her doe eyes.

"No, I don't." Elena repeated herself. "Tell me."

"I don't need to tell you, since you already know. Don't push me." He gritted out, agitated with the situation.

"Maybe you need to be pushed. Now tell me." Elena strolled over to him and grabbed his face between her hands.

He groaned. He just couldn't help it. She felt too good, and he felt her everywhere. He shrugged her hands off him, and walked over to the door, slamming it shut. He heard her shudder behind him, and he grimaced. He didn't want her to be scared of him, or of being with him.

"I was jealous." Damon said quickly, disgusted with the words.

"What?" She breathed out.

"I'm not going to say it again, Elena." He warned her.

Slowly, she walked over to him, and kicked him in the shin.

"What the hell, Sid!" He yelled.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "My thoughts exactly. You're not allowed to get jealous. I'm not yours and you're not mine, and that's the way I like it."

Breathing heavily, he stood up and stared her down. "Really?"

"Yes." Elena answered point blank.

He cocked his head in challenge, before grabbing her waist and pinning her against the closest wall.

"So you've never wondered what it would be like..." He licked his lips. "If we tried being something more?"

Elena batted her eyelashes and smiled at him. "How cute. I think you're the one with the problem."

He laughed hysterically, before taking her by surprise and catching her lips in a searing kiss. He pinned her hands down and ravaged her mouth. Finally, she returned the kiss, just as he pulled away.

"Yeah, you're not affected at all." He drawled out sarcastically as he stared into her unfocused eyes.

Elena sighed and looked down, defeated. "Why does it always have to be about winning with you?"

He smiled sadly. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, there is." She said quietly and looked up into his eyes once more. "I just wish you could see that."

"I wish you could see that you're the one that's winning." He admitted slowly. "Always have been."

She caressed his hands gently until he let go of her. Bringing her hands upwards, she cupped his face and kissed his lips.

"Then don't fight it. Don't fight me." Elena whispered.

"Not even a little?" He smirked. "I thought you liked it when..."

"Ugh, Damon, just..."

She never got to finish her sentence as he kissed her again roughly. She grabbed his hair, pulling at it as revenge.

"I heard you just fine," He whispered against her lips.

"Really? So you just have trouble following orders then?" Elena gasped between fevered kisses, while trying to pull his shirt over his head.

Damon laughed, before pulling his shirt off for her, enjoying the way her eyes immediately went for the goods. "You could always just teach me."

Elena smirked. "You know, I think you were right before. Winning is more fun."

With all her strength, she pushed him on to his bed, and climbed on top of him. Straddling him, she unbuckled his belt, and slipped her hand in his pants.

Wrapping her fingers around his hard, aching length, she tugged on his cock. "Am I winning now?"

"Elena..." He gasped, trying to thrust into her hand.

She immediately stopped her ministrations. "Nope, none of that. In fact, I think you lose points for being such a bad boy."

He glared at her off the bed, causing her to laugh. Tugging his pants off completely (with more than a little help from him, as he kicked them frantically down), she moved down his body and licked him slowly, before placing a small kiss on the tip.

"Fuck!" He yelled.

"Such a pottymouth. Wait, should I be getting the points we're retracting from you? Cause either way, I still think I'm coming out on top."

"Please, just..." He whined pitifully, sweat gathering near his hairline.

"Do I get points for this too?" Elena asked, before letting her mouth sink down on his cock.

She sucked him hard, moaning around him, the vibrations nearly killing him. She pulled her head back up, grinning at him, as she fought to catch her breath.

"What do you think?"

Damon glared at her murderously, obviously not liking her teasing. Grabbing her shoulders, he pinned her down beneath him, and placed soft butterfly kisses on her collar bone.

"I surrender, plead for mercy, and wave the fucking white flag. Just stop." He gasped against her skin, grinding his hips against hers.

"See." She smiled. "Was that so hard?"

"Yes. Now can I please be inside you already?"

"You say the sweetest things, dear." She rolled her eyes.

"You like everything I say to you when we're together. Otherwise..." Pulling her skirt and her panties down her legs, he tsked. "You wouldn't be this wet and ready for me."

Wrapping a leg around his waist, she pulled him flush against her, and they both gasped simultaneously at the contact.

"Shut up," She groaned.

"As you wish then."

Not taking the time to prepare her further, he thrust into her, inch by delicious inch, enjoying the way she gasped. She could feel him, pulsing inside of her. After giving her a moment to adjust to his size, he began moving at a steady pace.

"Wrap your legs around me," Damon said gruffly.

Elena complied quickly, sighing as the change in penetration allowed him to sink deeper into her. Her body trembled, as he grasped her hips, and pulled them both up, until she was sitting in his lap.

"Look at me," He said, his voice pleading rather than commanding.

Lifting her body, only to fall back down on him, she bit her lip and looked him in the eyes. She gasped as she saw the emotion in his eyes. Using his hands to guide her, he let her ride him slowly. She breathed rapidly, as she felt him throbbing inside of her.

Locking her legs around his waist, she kissed his jugular gently, before moving faster on top of him. He kissed her to swallow her screams, as he matched her pace, and thrust up into her roughly, matching her every movement.

As they moved in unison, he realized just what a perfect match they were. He pushed, and she pulled, and somehow it worked. In the most fucked up way possible, of course, but that was only natural with him.

"Damon..." Elena moaned, as their bodies clashed over and over, her inner muscles beginning to spasm around him uncontrollably.

He groaned as he felt her tighten around him, making it harder for him to stay in control. "I know."

Finding the place where their sweatslicked bodies connected, he teased her button with a few strategic flicks, before pressing down on her hard, relishing the way she fell apart almost immediately in his arms.

He followed her a few short seconds later, before placing his head on her shoulder. He worked to steady his breathing, even as he showered her skin with small kisses and held on to her. Lowering her down on to his bed, he kept her firmly wrapped in his arms, even as he sensed her confusion at the situation.

"Damon?" Elena mumbled softly.

"Hmm?" He kept his eyes closed, resting his head on her soft skin.

She hesitated for a moment. "Should I go?"

"No." He said immediately, his eyes looking down at hers in panic.

"Tell me why." She asked.

He smoothed some of the hair off her face and cringed. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted. She was too fucking close, it was going to break him, he just knew it.

"Because I want you to stay with me."

He couldn't help the panic that settled in his chest. What was he supposed to now, besides wait for her to hit him and run away in terror once more? He was screwed, this was why he didn't do this. As he stared into her deep brown eyes, seconds felt like minutes, and he couldn't breathe.

"Okay."

Tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him close to her again. Settling down beside her, he placed his head in the crook of her neck, sighing deep.

"Just go to sleep." Elena whispered. "I'm here."

For the first time in years, he slept through the night sober and free of nightmares.

* * *

><p>AN: Phew! Sorry for the long wait, I'm going through the worst writer's block ever. But sometimes...You just wake up one day and you know it's the day you'll update :) That was today! It's now 4:19am and I've literally been writing this for hours, but you all deserve this. In particular, this is dedicated to Daisy, who just celebrated her birthday :) Happy birthday, sweetie! Anyways, I really hope you like this chapter :) *Throws cookies* (Have I mentioned how awesome it is when people mention my cookies in their reviews? So cute!)<p>

P.S. In case anyone likes the pairing, I wrote a canon Stefan/Caroline one-shot called "Savior". Check it out! :)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>"Damon?"<p>

He lazily cracked open an eye. As his eyesight came into focus, he saw Elena lying next to him, touching his bare chest tenderly. Her touch was soothing, as much as it pained him to admit it, and he began to think of ways to prolong the moment.

"Hmm?"

"What are you going to do about Mason and Tyler?"

He looked at her incredulously. "And this can't wait?"

She shook her head and he cursed her hold on him once more. "I don't have to do anything about it. Stefan cuts them a bigger slice of the cake, and we all walk away happy."

She was quiet for a moment, much too quiet for her normally inquisitive personality. Sighing, he said, "Just come out with it."

Elena bit her lip and looked down. "Can you tell me about your tattoos?"

He took the time to think it over. "Depends."

"On?"

"On whether or not I'm talking to Elena the frisky groupie or Elena the snooty journalist," He sighed.

Elena narrowed her eyes and hit him playfully. "Kudos on the categories, assface! I'm not your groupie!"

Raising his hands in surrender, he grinned at her innocently. "Really? Because the resemblance is uncanny. You spend more time with me than you do with your work."

Throwing the covers off her legs, she sighed dramatically. "Well that can easily be rectified."

Making a show of getting up, she gasped for air as strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her back. Elena threw her head back and laughed as he began to tickle her ribs.

"Oh my god, stop it!" Elena squealed, trying to stop the torture he was inflicting on her body.

Damon pinned her down and continued tickling her, grinning as he took in her hysterical laughter. "Not before you promise to never leave this bed again."

"I swear, just please stop tickling me!" She gasped out as tears streamed down her face.

He immediately took his hands off her body, and she scowled. "You're an ass."

"So they keep saying." Damon quipped back, molding her naked body against his. Elena huffed and rested her head against his shoulder. She inhaled deep.

"Mmhm. You smell nice." Elena murmured against his skin.

He shivered as he felt a warmth spreading across his skin. Was he blushing? He began stroking her hair, determined to make sure she didn't see anything she wasn't supposed to see. Oh how he was embarrassed of himself.

It was all her fault anyways. He hadn't signed on for any of this. It was supposed to be sex, drugs, and rock n' roll for him. Not lazy Sundays spent in bed with an uptight tabloid journalist looking for her pound of flesh. He was even monogamous. It was unnatural.

Elena took that moment to wrap her arms tightly around his waist, trying to absorb some of his body heat. He shook his head and wrapped the covers back around them, too big of a wimp to let her freeze.

"Are you going to tell me?" She yawned.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Elena raised her head and shook it haughtily. "Nope. As you said, we spend a lot of time together, and I figure I should get to know at least something about you."

"Do you want one?" He was genuinely curious, as his mind instantly began to think of body parts of hers he wanted to mark.

"Don't deflect." She deadpanned.

Damon rolled his cerulean eyes. "Any particular one you want to start on?"

She looked deep in thought for a moment, before pointing at his neck. Damon cringed. How fun, she was going straight for the jugular.

To be honest, he didn't feel self-conscious about his tattoos anymore. They were a part of him, and beyond that, they were the honest truth, telling the story of his life in code. It helped him remember where he came from, and where he never wanted to end up again.

Elena traced her fingers over the letters tattooed over his pulse point. "SOS...Why would you get that tattooed on yourself?"

"You cannot be this dense." He muttered. He hated her for making him say it out loud. "SOS stands for Stefan Oliver Salvatore."

Damon restrained the urge to snarl at her as her face broke out into a grin. This was why he didn't talk about his extensive body art, all it did was expose his weaknesses to people. However, as he'd come to find, she wasn't just anyone, and she didn't take just anything. Concessions had to be made, he assured himself.

"Does he know?" Elena asked quietly.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "How could he not?"

"I don't know..." She sighed and looked down. "You two just never seemed that close. It just took me by surprise."

"Stefan and I..." He tried to find the right words. "It's complicated."

"I won't push." Elena said.

He nodded as Elena kissed his thundering pulse gently, before moving down his body. She tapped her fingers against his ribs, and he groaned as he felt other parts of his physique reacting to her touch. She moved her fingers to graze over his heart, and if he didn't know better, he would've thought she looked sad.

"I don't like this one." She stated simply.

He frowned, all of a sudden wanting to cover up his skin. "Why?"

"It's depressing. A murder of crows? Isn't that a bit ominous?"

"Maybe." Damon said, uncomfortably with the subject. She was like a blood hound. "But let's talk about something more interesting..."

"Like?"

Pouncing on her, he trapped her body beneath his. "Like how you're driving me crazy."

"Really?" Damn, if she didn't sound pleased with herself. He didn't like the cocky grin on her face, that expression was reserved for him, not for women determined to ruin his existence with their...It didn't matter, no positive adjective felt satisfying to the dozen voices screaming inside his head.

"You never make anything easy, do you?"

Elena giggled, the sound piercing through to his heart, and she shook her head. "Nope. Not when you're involved."

"You wound me."

Elena shrugged. "I don't know, I think you like it. It must get tiring, being mindlessly worshipped, no one standing up to you."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Yes, adoration and fame sure is awful. I'm sure all the starving children in Africa would love to hear your thoughts on it."

"That wasn't what I meant, and you know it." Elena huffed. "I mean come on. Be honest. Are you happy?"

Thrown off, he rolled over to the other side of the bed and looked at the ceiling. What was with her and questions? Didn't she realize how hard being around her was? It wasn't simple, never had been, and she just made it more complicated by persistently trying to crack all of his shields.

"I don't know, Elena." He finally admitted. "I've never thought about it in terms of happiness or sadness, it's just what I do. It's better than most people's lives, that's for sure."

"But do you think it's what you want?"

Clenching his fists tightly, he looked her in the eye. "I don't fucking know. Seriously now, when did we start sharing?"

Her eyes flashed with hurt and she jumped away from his bed as if he had electrocuted her. Bending down, she picked up a sheet and wrapped it around her lithe body. He cringed. This was bad.

Elena turned around and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I just..."

He wasn't going to ask. She was just begging for trouble with her big brown eyes, looking at him like she...It didn't matter, it would never matter. He was most definitely not going to ask her to finish her sentence, for it would be weak. He was never weak.

"What?" He gritted out, mentally chiding himself for his stupidity. This was not what he did.

She rolled her eyes and walked over to the door. Opening it, she gave him one last smile and a half-hearted shrug. "I wanted to know, Damon. I really did. And no, not as "Elena the snooty journalist", or "Elena the frisky groupie"...It's just me, Elena."

Letting his head drop against his pillow, he closed his eyes. "Go away."

"Fine, whatever," She muttered and left his room.

Damon cringed when the door banged shut. Was he a fucking asshole or what? He'd need to do something nice to her later...Perhaps she'd appreciate it if he got a personality transplant, that was one idea.

Standing up, he picked up his jeans and slipped into them, before following after her. As much as it killed him, he couldn't stay away. Having her leave was inconvenient, and on some perverse level, upsetting.

Moving across the hallway, he knocked on her door. "Elena?"

She didn't answer. Cursing himself for the umpteenth time for having the mental filter of a teacup, he let his head rest against the wall. "Could you please talk to me?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk." A muffled voice answered him.

Well at least she wasn't ignoring him. Granted, she didn't like him all that much either, but he was very charming. He could turn that frown upside down in no time, he just needed some face time with her.

"Open the door."

Elena was quiet. "Nope, I don't feel like it."

"Good." Damon shrugged. "I can do this then."

Swiftly, he pulled her door open and strolled in. "You really should try doing some decorating, this place is blah."

His eyes scanned her room until they finally zoned in on her sitting in a corner, still wearing one of his sheets. Elena rolled her eyes at him, and he resisted the urge to frown when he noticed they were slightly glassy. She wasn't supposed to cry.

What was he supposed to do then? Apologize? How could he ever...It wasn't like she would understand, no one would. There was Stefan, but he was Mr. Honesty-is-the-best-policy and liked talking about his feelings. Him? He hated it. It was an exercise in futility.

"I uhh..." He licked his lips, trying out the words. "I just wanted you to know that what happened there wasn't your fault."

"Okay." Elena said. "Thank you for stopping by, do shut the door on your way out."

Okay, maybe his abridged version of an apology wasn't the best strategy. Walking over to her, he sat down beside her. He reached for her hand, only for Elena to pull it away.

"Don't." Her voice was cold.

He closed his eyes, trying to force his emotions to remain at bay. He didn't need to accidentally lash out at her, or insult her, or reveal anything personal to her.

"I'm sorry you're...upset."

Elena chuckled. "You are such a mess. You sleep with me, you treat me like dirt. You punch people for coming on to me, you treat me like dirt. You ask me to spend the night with you, just sleeping, and then you treat me like dirt again! What are you doing?"

He closed his eyes. She had a point. He was a mess, had been for years. He couldn't blame anyone for it either. Sure, his life had a shitty start, but it was his own fault for letting it affect him so goddamn much. For a second, he saw a small malnourished boy before his eyes. The boy's eyes were watery with unshed tears, as he shivered from the cold, hiding behind his house.

Shaking off the image, he focused on the girl before him, who looked at him with familiar resentment. He understood her, better than she thought he did, and it was all very hilarious. In a tragic way, of course, but everything with him was.

"I don't know what I'm doing, I never do with you." He answered honestly.

"That makes two of us." Elena muttered and tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "But the difference is that I don't punish you for my insecurities. Whenever I step out of line, you lash out at me, and it hurts. And it sucks, because I don't deserve this."

"I'm trying." His throat was oddly hoarse, constricting painfully as he tried to get the words out.

"I don't know." Elena sighed. "I guess I want to believe in you, but I just don't know why you make it so hard for me. I can't constantly worry about saying the wrong thing or whatever."

He nodded. "I understand."

Standing up, he took a deep breath, wondering if she'd mind him punching a hole in her wall? Perhaps it'd be counterproductive for his cause. He began walking away until he heard her curse behind him.

"Sorry?" He asked.

Elena shrugged. "Just go. It's not like we share things."

Damon nodded, feigning a smile, even as he felt something in his chest constrict painfully. Was it an overstatement to say he was hurt? Was it an understatement to say he was unaffected? Truthfully, he didn't trust his emotions, fully knowing what a paradox his mind was.

"I made a mistake." He said, keeping his voice steady. "I know that. I'm just sorry it was with you. You make everything harder, you know."

With that, he left her room, shutting the door gently.

* * *

><p>"Well that sounds like an apology to me." Caroline shrugged, flopping down on a bean bag.<p>

Elena bit her lip. They'd been going over the morning's events for the past hour, and she still wasn't entirely convinced Damon even knew what an apology meant. "I don't know. He danced around the subject, but...I don't know if I can trust anything he does."

Caroline looked at her pointedly. "Do you want to trust him?"

She paused to think about it. She had been so angry earlier at the way he'd callously dismissed her for asking a few questions. It wasn't even his reluctance to answer her, she was used to him being evasive, she just hated the way he was cruel about it.

They were sleeping together. Had been for a while now. Who was he to throw her out, or give her weird mixed signals? And why did she keep going back like a glutton for punishment? That was the question that haunted her, for it made her doubt who she was as a person.

"I don't know." It was the truth. She had never been so confused in her life, and she'd been through a lot. "I don't understand him, that's the problem. I don't know what drives him, why he is the way he is."

Caroline sighed. "Look...Stefan would kill me for sharing this, but..."

Her ears perked up at that. "What?"

"They didn't exactly have a nice childhood." Caroline said quietly, checking to see no one was entering the bus.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Caroline shrugged. "He didn't go into specifics, but apparently he lived with a foster family for most of his life."

"What!" Elena yelled. "They were with a foster family?"

"Well..." Caroline looked agitated. "Stefan didn't mention Damon. Honestly, I kind of got the feeling that Damon was somewhere else."

"But they had to have been together, they're siblings," Elena insisted. "They wouldn't just separate them."

Caroline looked at her helplessly. "I really don't know, Elena, but I know that Stefan is...loyal to him. For whatever fucked up reason. I mean, it's not like Damon's such a joy to be around."

Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes, wishing to forget everything she'd just heard. She didn't want to have even more doubts about Damon. Her mind was filled with him these days, preventing her from seeing anything clearly.

Finding out that he may have had a more tragic life story than she did just made her doubt herself. She didn't want that. He was rude, never treated her right, and had basically derailed her life for his own pleasure. She didn't want shades of grey, not now. Not when it meant once again being helpless before him, just so he could use her up and throw her away as he pleased.

"I hate this." Elena groaned. "I hate not knowing how I feel about him."

"Well," Caroline checked the time, "The boys will be in soundcheck for another 30 minutes. Let's start with the things you do know."

Elena smiled at her. "You're pretty great, you know that? I mean, you were in love with the asshat, and now you're giving me advice?"

Caroline chuckled. "I think there's a difference between infatuation and love. I used to think I did love him, but we were never really...intimate. Stefan is just so different, and I love that."

"Love?" Elena smiled.

Caroline shook her head with a smile. "I guess I do love him. I just...It's everything. I feel this connection to him, and he makes me feel more like myself. I can't stay away anymore, but I guess you can't when it's worth it."

"I'm happy for you, really." Elena smiled.

"I still think he was trying to apologize." Caroline said bluntly.

Elena chuckled. "You're like a dog with a bone."

"I'm sorry," Caroline whined, "But it's sort of cute, the way he is around you."

"Cute?" She scoffed. "Babies are cute, puppies are cute, he is the opposite of cute."

"If this were a sandbox, he'd be pulling on your pigtails and stomping on your sandcastle."

Elena couldn't help it, she began laughing hysterically. "I said that to him once."

"Then what changed?" Caroline prodded. "I mean you two have that lusty sex chemistry going on, but you did think he liked you, right?"

"I don't think Damon likes people the way normal people like people." Elena muttered. "To put it bluntly, I don't think he's capable of normal relationships or even wants them."

"Look," Caroline rolled her eyes, "I've known him for a while now, and I've never seen him act this flustered around a girl before. I don't know what it means, but it's something."

"I suck." Elena groaned. "I never should've started anything with him."

"Well, end it then." Caroline said simply. "If it's that hard being around his egoistic self, just end it."

Elena stopped to think about it. She was right. If things weren't working out, she could say hasta la vista to him, and just keep things professional from then on. So why wasn't she doing that? Why was it that it was so difficult for her to admit defeat?

"I knew it." Caroline yelled and pointed her finger at her friend. "You are so crushing on him!"

"Am not!" Elena threw a pillow at her.

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "Oh don't even. There is no other reason for you to be sticking around! I should know! Look at Stefan, he's such an embarrassment, but I tolerate it."

"How romantic, I do wonder what your pillow talk sounds like," Elena remarked dryly.

"The point is," Caroline began, "That I'm with Stefan, because I want to be with him. Despite him being such an unbelievable dork. The same goes for you and Damon. You kind of hate each other, but you kind of also..."

"Don't say it," Elena whined.

"-Like each other." Caroline cocked her eyebrows. "That's why he's fighting all his douchebag instincts, and why you're not running for the hills."

"I really liked it when you focused more on yourself, you know," Elena glared at her.

"Don't take your problems with your boyfriend out on me," Caroline grinned.

"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"

* * *

><p>Elena pulled her hair into a pony tail, having just finished brushing her teeth and washing her face. She'd decided to skip the night's show, knowing the routine by heart already. It didn't even matter, she was more than accustomed to making up things about Damon, and she felt particularly imaginative after their fight.<p>

Smirking to herself, she approached her bed, wanting to get a full eight hours in for once. Just as she was pulling the covers off, she heard someone knock on her door, though the soud was more of a heavy thump. She frowned, before walking over and opening the door.

As she did, she had to hold her arms out as Damon nearly fell on top of her.

"Damon!" She yelled as he stumbled into her room. "Oh god, don't tell me you're drunk again!"

He reached for her dresser for support, and turned to meet her stern glare. "Surprise!"

Elena crossed her arms. "Get out."

He stopped flailing like a drunken maniac and pouted. "Don't say that."

"Why?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Because it feels bad." He muttered.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, you should've thought of that when you did it to me this morning!"

"I feel bad about that too." Damon smiled, though he didn't seem particularly jovial. "But I feel better around you."

"Why?" Elena sighed. "I need to know why, because I need...something."

He had her all tied up in knots, she didn't know what to think anymore. She didn't even know if she wanted him to leave, or if she wanted him to stay.

Before she knew it, Damon had crossed the small room and was kissing her. Without thinking it over, she kissed him back, far too wrapped up in the spell he'd weaved to ever stop him. It was simply too much to take in, all of it.

When they finally came up for air, he dropped his forehead against hers, and pet her hair gently. She frowned, unaccustomed to this new side of him that kept popping up more and more.

"Elena," He began hastily, "You make everything better, you make me better."

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "I don't think I do. I asked you before if you're happy, and I think all I do is make you more miserable than you already are. I know we have...something, but I don't know if it's worth all this confusion."

He chuckled, his hot breath mingling with hers. "You don't know anything, because that's all I've given you. That's all I really am, to be honest, but with you...I want more. I want to be more."

Elena's eyes widened at the sudden overload of information. "You're drunk."

"Yeah, I am, but I don't want to leave, please don't make me leave," He rambled, sounding more helpless than she would've liked.

"You can stay," Elena whispered, hating herself for being so weak.

She was going against all her self-preservation instincts, against all empirical evidence, but she couldn't stop herself. She knew there was something there, something in him that could be saved. Maybe with time, he could grow and be a person worthy of greatness. She didn't know for sure, but she knew she would hate herself later if she didn't at least try finding out.

"Come on," Elena said, "Let me take your shirt off."

Damon nodded, and raised his arms, letting her do all the work. Rolling her eyes, she pulled his shirt up and over his head. As she stole a peek at his physique, she gasped.

"What happened to you?"

His body was littered with bruises and cuts, she was surprised his face had been spared. He looked away and hugged himself lightly, before cursing. She guessed he might've cracked a rib or two.

"I got into a fight, it wasn't a big deal," He muttered nonchalantly.

Elena cocked her head. "Damon, it is a big deal. Who did this to you?"

Damon chuckled. "Guess we're sharing now then?"

"Cut the crap or I'm throwing you out." Elena deadpanned. "Who did this to you?"

"Some guy...No one I knew."

"You're such an idiot." Elena hissed.

"Gee, thanks." Damon glared. "Really, you should see the other guy."

"And you should sleep," She sighed. "Now get to bed."

"I do like it when you're all bossy..." He muttered, before landing face first on her bed with a soft thud. He passed out instantly and Elena shook her head with a smile.

"Idiot."

She was a glutton for punishment, that much was for sure. Laying down beside him on the bed, she marveled at how innocent he looked in his sleep. It was enough to make her want to cry over how he'd turned out.

Damon wasn't a bad person. He wasn't a very good person either, but she knew he had it in him. More than anything, she wanted to be right. As much as she hated it, she was invested now, and she couldn't imagine walking away anymore. All the fighting, sex, everything they'd shared...It was building towards something.

Elena caressed his cheek gently. It was undeniable. He was undeniable. And more than anything, he needed help. With a sigh, she reached for his hand and interlaced their fingers, wanting to somehow bring him comfort in his passed out state. She fell asleep holding his hand.

What she imagined to be the middle of the night, she woke up to someone knocking on her door. Alarmed, she looked over at Damon and saw that he was still unconscious. Walking over to the door hurriedly, she pulled it open, only to come face to face with the younger Salvatore.

Stefan looked tired, but beyond that, he looked angry. "Tag, you're it."

Elena frowned. "What?"

"Damon's there, right?" Stefan asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah." Elena said.

Stefan nodded grimly. "Good. That'll make this easier."

"Stefan, I don't understand what you're saying."

"Damon beat up one of the paparazzi today." He said with a heavy sigh. "It's all over the news."

"What!" Elena worked to keep her voice steady.

Stefan nodded. "This was one too many times, people think he's a violent sociopath."

"But wait, isn't the free press a good thing?" She asked, having trouble keeping up.

"Not when the lead singer veers off from being labeled as sexy, and lands somewhere between scary and terrifying."

"What are you gonna do?"

"What any manager would," He chuckled dryly. "Damage control. Image rehab. It's where you come in."

"Please, if there's anything I can do, I'll help," She said earnestly. Stefan was her friend, and Damon was something more. She didn't owe them anything, but she wanted to help them both.

"Good." Stefan clapped his hands together awkwardly. "Tag, you're it."

Elena scrunched up her face. "Stefan, you lost me again."

He smiled at her. "Congratulations, Elena, you just became Damon Salvatore's new girlfriend."

"Come again?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Sorry for the long wait, I really have been trying to write. Luckily, I've mapped out the rest of the chapters and I know exactly how the rest of it will go, so the updates should start coming much faster now! Thank you so much for all your understanding, it really means the world to me! *Hugs everyone* *Throws cookies*

P.S. I wrote two DE one shots for the Holiday Fic Exchange, "Light Me Up" and "After Hours". Do check them out, I think they're both pretty good!

EDIT: I just found out Rocker Sex God won best DE fic at the DE awards over on Fanforum...This is so beyond amazing. Thank you so much to everyone! Seriously, I don't know how I'll ever be able to properly express how overwhelming all your support is, and how it sometimes really does get me through the day :) *HUGS EVERYONE AGAIN*


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>"No."<p>

Stefan sighed. "Damon, you are not listening. I can settle your little scuffle out of court, but your image..."

"Is positively bad ass?" Damon supplied.

Elena glared at him and jabbed him in the side lightly. Damon winced and hugged himself protectively. "That's where 'bad ass' gets you."

"Bitch."

Elena slumped over and let her head drop against the table before her. For the past hour, the three of them had been locked in heated debate over the future of their business arrangement. She was getting a headache from all the negotiating, especially since someone wasn't letting them make any progress.

"Yeah, Elena's a bitch, I'm an idiot, and we're still the only people who genuinely give a crap about your wellbeing."

"Go over it again, Stefan." Elena said exasperatedly.

"You two," Stefan pointed at them in a rather accusatory manner, "are going to be a couple."

"Like hell." Damon muttered.

"You know, you really have a way with words." She rolled her eyes. The whole conversation was so flattering to her. With Stefan wanting to whore her out to the media, and Damon being disgusted with having to pretend to like her, she'd never felt better.

Damon looked at her, and his eyes softened a bit. "This isn't about you. I don't do girlfriends, especially not to please other people. I am who I am."

"And who you are is a media disaster." Stefan said. "Look, it doesn't have to be forever. Just until the end of our original contract with Elena."

"Contract?" Elena raised her eyebrows at him. "Are you hearing yourself? I really do sound like a whore."

"It's not like that!" Stefan quickly corrected her. "You're not getting anything from this, other than your fixed cut for the pieces you've been writing. Look, you two are already...involved – Damon, don't you dare lie to me again – and it's only for a month. Then we'll be done with the US venues, and moving on to Europe, and hopefully leaving this mess behind."

Elena bit her lip. It was only a month. And she did care about him. But what would it mean for the tentative bond they'd created? Getting him to open up was about as pleasant as pulling teeth with pliers, could he even deal with that kind of pressure from the public?

"Say I'd consider doing this..." Elena tried to find a way to word her doubts. "How could we ever trick people into thinking we're together?"

"Well, technically, you two are kind of..."

Damon and Elena glared at him, and Stefan chuckled. "Fine, I get the hint. But still, you two have chemistry. And Elena works for a tabloid! We can easily plant paparazzi pictures of you two everywhere with those kinds of resources!"

"Well, that's if Alaric would ever even agree to something this ridiculous." Elena let out a small laugh, until she caught Stefan looking at her strangely. "What?"

He fidgeted in his seat. "About that...He already sort of agreed to it."

"What!" Damon and Elena yelled in unison.

"You know what, Stefan? You suck." Damon huffed.

"You have to admit, it's pretty cool. People are going to want to read her pieces even more, because she'll be the girlfriend of the lead singer."

"So I really am selling out." Elena stated plainly. So long for her journalistic aspirations, she really did belong at a tabloid.

"I hear you." Damon nodded in acquiescence.

"It's only for a month. Please." Stefan pleaded. "You've come this far, just let me help you."

Elena looked at Damon, trying to decipher the emotion in his eyes. She knew how important his music was to him, and she knew how much Stefan cared about his brother.

"I'm in if you are." She said before she had time to talk herself out of it.

She looked at Damon and smiled encouragingly. Her smile disappeared when he immediately looked away from her.

"I don't want to do this." He said simply, his voice lacking of emotion.

Elena rolled her eyes. This was so typical of him. "Fine. I need to call my boss anyway, and explain to him what is and isn't appropriate to ask of one's employees."

With that, she walked away, willing herself to remain strong. She would not give him any more power over her. What they had was...complicated, she decided, but it would not dictate her thoughts, and most certainly not her work. She was not upset, though.

* * *

><p>"You are such an asshole to her." Stefan said bluntly after Elena's hasty exit. "What the hell is wrong with you?"<p>

Damon glared at him. "You're my brother. How about you choose me for once, and not the girl I'm banging?"

"I am choosing you, you're just too stubborn to see it. I am willing to help you. Elena is willing to sacrifice herself to help you. Why are you taking it for granted?"

Damon sat there in silence. He knew Stefan was right. He was being an asshole as usual, and taking her for granted. As usual. Well, that wasn't the case, he amended his thought process. He didn't take her for granted. That's just how it was coming across to her, because he was being an asshole. Damn, he was twisted.

"Stefan, I can't do this."

"Why not?"

How could he ever explain it to Stefan? Stefan's relationship with Caroline was sappy, and fluffy, and normal. His relationship with Elena was abnormal at best, unhealthy at worst. Exposing them to the rest of the world would ruin them both.

"Do you care so little for her?" Damon spat out abruptly. "That you'd be willing to have the rest of the world judge her for being involved me? She'll get hate mail, death threats, she'll be labeled for fuck's sake! Doesn't she deserve better than that?"

An uncomfortable silence spread through the room after he said his piece. He took a deep breath, and worked to calm himself down. Looking over at Stefan, he was surprised to find the younger man smiling.

"What now?" He growled.

Stefan shrugged. "Nothing, it's just...You really care about her, don't you?"

Damon stood up, knocking over his chair while he was at it. "Screw you."

"I'm not hearing you deny it, though." Stefan sounded smug. "She's really gotten under your skin, hasn't she?"

Damon paced the room. He was trapped with his brother's insinuations, and he felt like he couldn't breathe again. He stayed silent.

"Damon, that's..." Stefan started. "Amazing. You deserve to be happy. And she really cares for you too, otherwise she wouldn't be putting herself on the line for you."

"That's what she always does. Gives herself to the psychotic rock star, and for what? For nothing." He ranted quietly.

He sat back down and let his head drop against the table. Stefan touched his shoulder in some sort of a comforting gesture.

"Damon, you need help."

"I am not seeing another shrink, the last one was-" Damon began yelling.

Stefan cut him off. "But since you refuse to get help, I'm all you have. And you have Elena. Maybe not forever with the way you treat her, but she's still here for you. I don't understand it entirely, but it makes me happy."

"Getting laid makes me happy too. I can't say the thought of you and Caroline makes me that happy, though, especially when I saw you wearing nothing but her pink boa around your neck..."

"You're an asshole." Stefan glared at him.

Damon shrugged. "People are who they are, Stefan. The sooner you accept that, the faster you'll realize what a lost cause I am and dump me."

"I'll never do that." Stefan vowed. "You're my brother, and I hate to break this to you, but you're stuck with me. I may not have always been there, but I'm making up for lost time and you're just gonna have to deal with that."

Damon grimaced at the mention of their sordid past, and looked his brother in the eyes, finding nothing but love and acceptance there. He groaned. Stefan could never understand him, yet he'd never stop trying, and it only served to make him feel worse about himself. Well played, little brother, he thought. Guilt was a powerful weapon indeed.

"What do I have to do?"

He wanted to punch Stefan as soon as that shit-eating grin appeared on his face. "Nothing much! Dedicate a few songs to her, dance with her at clubs, introduce her as your girlfriend. Maybe take her to the movies, have dinner with her at some fancy place where you'll be seen. I'll set up photo ops for you guys."

"Photo ops, seriously?" Damon asked dryly. This was sounding more ridiculous by the second.

Stefan shrugged. "I'm your manager, therefore you are my bitch. Live with it."

Damon raised his eyebrows at his brother. "You've been spending way too much time with Caroline, you're even starting to talk like her."

"Whatever." Stefan shrugged.

Damon stood up. "Is that it, or do we need to share a manly hug too?"

"I think we're good. Soundcheck's in an hour, don't be late."

Damon walked over to the door. "I haven't forgot."

"Where are you running off to?"

Damon looked at his feet, and gave a halfhearted shrug. "I need to apologize."

Stefan grinned, delighted by his initiative. "Get her some flowers, that always works with my girlfriend."

"Fuck you."

* * *

><p>"Alaric, you can't be serious!" Elena growled into the phone. Were all men insane?<p>

"Elena, I know this isn't ideal, but think of the opportunity-"

"Yeah, who cares about my integrity as long as the paper's doing well, right?" She bit back sarcastically. She never should've gone touring with drugged up rock stars.

"Yeah, but you're not actually involved with him, right?" Alaric asked.

So Stefan hadn't told him the whole story then, Elena deduced. It was for the best. Alaric was almost like family to her, and Damon was not the guy you brought home to meet the parents.

"No, of course not." Elena lied as much conviction as she could muster up.

"Good." Alaric answered, relief apparent in his tone. "The last thing you need is to get involved with someone that fucked up, believe me."

Elena frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing you should worry about right now. We'll talk about it later at a more appropriate time. For now, we should focus on how we are going to get the word out about you and Damon Salvatore."

"Damon doesn't even want to do it, and no one can make him change his mind. Guess he thinks I'd be an embarrassing girlfriend, my IQ is too high for me to be his flavor of the week." She muttered sarcastically.

Alaric chuckled. "Well at least you still have your sense of humor."

"Barely." Elena sighed, pacing the length of her room. "Ric, I'm not sure I can do this anymore. I just feel so torn, and things are getting more complicated, and..."

She paused as she noticed him standing in her doorway, staring at her with eyes the size of saucers. God, his eyes should be illegal, she thought.

"Ric, I'm gonna have to call you back." She said, before swiftly hanging up.

Elena threw her phone over to her bed, and put her hands on her hips. "What now?"

"Can I come in?"

Elena nodded. He might as well, if past experience had taught her anything, asking was only a courtesy to him. It didn't mean anything. He walked in slowly, and stopped a few feet away from her.

"You wanna leave?" He asked, referring to her talk with Alaric.

"We just keep having the same conversation over and over." Elena rolled her eyes. "You're an ass, I get mad, and then you give me the puppy eyes. I don't know what I want, because you make things so complicated."

Damon smiled at her insincerely, though inwardly she applauded him for the effort. At least he wasn't yelling at her or calling her names.

"I want to apologize for the past few weeks." Damon said. "I know things between us are complicated, but I shouldn't take it out on you. You don't deserve that."

"Is this a joke?" Elena asked bluntly, not able to stop herself. "Am I on Candid Camera or Punk'd? If Ashton jumps in here with a camera, I'll kill you."

Damon glared at her, not appreciating her poor sense of humor. "Just forget it."

He started walking away, only to feel her tugging at his arm gently. He turned around and found her appraising him with a soft look in her doe eyes.

"You were serious." She gave him a tiny smile. Why did she feel so giddy all of a sudden? Damn him to the lowest depths of hell.

Damon shrugged. "As serious as I can be. I didn't really like you when I first met you, or the second time I met you, or..."

"Damon." Elena said simply.

Looking into her eyes, the corners of his mouth quirked upwards lightly. "I think you're cool."

Elena looked bemused. That was his choice of adjective? "I'm cool?"

"That's all I can say." He stated.

She giggled. "I'll take 'cool' over 'bitch' any day!"

"Bitches can be cool too." He responded.

Elena rolled her eyes. He was so pigheaded. She shook her head with a small smile. "I don't wanna leave, Damon. I know I've said that several times before, but I don't. But I understand why you don't want to do this whole 'girlfriend' thing, so we'll drop it."

"I'll do it." Damon said. "If it's okay with you."

Now she was just confused. Had someone given him a personality transplant? He was being much too nice and cooperative. Maybe Stefan had drugged him. She quickly forgot about that theory, remembering how rowdy he got with the help of some pharmaceuticals.

"Are you sure?" She tried to fish for clues. "I'm not sure I'm fit to be the Pamela to your Tommy Lee."

Damon stole a peek at her chest. "Not with those boobs."

Elena punched him in the arm. "I'm serious! I know why you didn't want to do this before. I mean, it's one thing to bang the mousy journalist, and a whole other thing to let the world know you're mad for each other. Or at least pretend to be. I get it."

Damon cursed under his breath. "Me not wanting to do this before had nothing to do with you. I'm not embarrassed of you."

Elena nodded, and tucked some of her hair behind her ears nervously. "Okay."

He lifted her chin. "Hey, look at me."

Elena looked up with a heavy heart. He always left her in shambles, she was bracing for the worst again. Looking into his eyes, she saw raw emotion there and it scared her.

"You and me?" He motioned at them. "We're a disaster. Worst fucking idea in the history of craptastic ideas, but we're stuck with each other for the moment. And there are worse things."

Elena nodded solemnly. "Nuclear bombs."

"Famine."

"Michael Bay."

Damon chuckled. "I can't top that one."

Elena beamed back at him. He was being sweet, and she wanted to savor this.

"So we're doing this then?" She asked nervously.

Damon nodded. "As long as you're okay with it."

Elena bit her lip. "One condition."

He looked at her suspiciously, and she wondered whether this was a good idea after all. He was like a shark, he could smell blood in the water.

"Name it."

"I want us to be friends."

Damon looked at her, amusement twinkling in his eyes. She cursed herself for being stupid enough to suggest it. "Friends? Why, Elena, you're already the best friend I've ever had. You're bendy."

"Damon, I'm serious. If we're gonna do this, we'll be in it together. We should be able to trust each other. We should be friends, or at least friendly." She pleaded with him.

"This is important to you?"

"Yes!" Elena nearly yelled at him.

Damon nodded coolly. "Okay. We'll be friends with benefits, pretending to be girlfriend and boyfriend."

"So..."

"What now?" He sounded tired.

Elena fidgeted. "We're gonna keep sleeping together?"

"Why not?" He asked flippantly.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "I feel like I never know where we're at. I guess we're friends with benefits then."

"BFFs." He amended, whilst waggling his eyebrows at her. Elena snorted.

"Forever? We'll see if I can be friends with you for a month without wanting to stab myself in the shin."

Damon nodded jokingly. "Yes, I can see how that could be an issue."

Elena smiled. "So...Shouldn't you be running off to soundcheck already? Caroline tells me Stefan's been 'extra psycho' with the preparations for tonight's gig."

"Yeah...I just wanted to come see you first."

Elena resisted the urge to melt into a puddle of goo. That would most likely scare him away and ruin all the progress they'd made. Plus she wasn't a groupie. If she was going to do this, she had to keep up some level of detachment with him. The more involved with him she got, the more she felt...for him. They would be friends with kick-ass benefits, she decided. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. Okay, she was more than a little flattered.

"I wanted to apologize." He hesitated, choosing his words. "And I also wanted to ask if you would come to the show tonight. I know it must get boring, but if we're really gonna do this..."

"We should start right away." She finished his sentence for him. "Huh. I never figured our first date would be at one of your shows."

"You've thought about it before?" He smirked.

Elena blushed. She walked right into that one. "No! I mean seriously, I have never thought about it! Ever. Okay?"

Damon nodded, looking much too pleased with himself. Elena sighed. She was already failing at shielding herself from him. Their friendship was already off to a great start.

"I'll come." She finally agreed.

"That's what she said."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Don't be a child, you're supposed to be in a committed relationship. Now go before Stefan kills you for missing soundcheck again."

"Yeah, I should go." He looked at her strangely.

Elena narrowed her eyes. "Is there something on my face?"

Damon shook his head slowly, before looping an arm around her waist and bringing her into his warm embrace. Surprised by the move, she stiffened instantly, even moreso as she felt his lips descend on her cheek in a small caress. She sighed at the contact, not prepared for it.

"I'll see you tonight," He whispered into her ear and let go of her.

Damon shut the door as he left, and she allowed herself to fall down on her bed. He was going to be the death of her, she knew it.

* * *

><p>"He said you're cool?" Caroline grinned.<p>

"Yeah..." Elena let her voice trail off.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you!" The blonde bounced lightly on the bar stool she was sitting on, and Elena was scared she was going to fall off any second.

"He said I'm cool, it's no big deal." Elena repeated for the umpteenth time. Low expectations were key with Damon.

"And he wants to be your boyfriend," Caroline cooed.

She shook her head. "No, he wants me to pretend to be his girlfriend so people will think he's reformed."

Caroline waved a hand. "Whatever. He said he isn't embarrassed to be seen with you, he snuggles up with you like a teddy bear almost every night, and he said you're cool. I'm sorry, girlfriend, but that boy is so into you."

Elena blushed. "You never know with him, you know? I don't even know if I'm looking for anything more, and if I was, I'm not sure he'd be the horse I'd bet on."

"Even though he's such a sweet ride?" Caroline smirked.

Elena sputtered helplessly, almost spitting out her drink. "Caroline! We are so not talking about this!"

The blonde took another sip of her drink. "I'm just saying, he might be just what you're looking for. All girls need to date at least one bad boy during their lives."

"So it's just a phase then?" Elena grinned.

"Nope," Caroline retorted. "You just wish it was, because it'd make things easier. It's real, and that's scary."

"Whatever, we are so done discussing this." Elena muttered. The other girl might've been ditzy as hell, but she sure was perceptive when she wanted to be.

"Yeah, we are, since your boyfriend's hitting the stage." Caroline giggled and motioned to people piling on to the dancefloor. "Come on, we gotta be in the front row for this!"

Caroline grabbed her hand and started dragging her through the throng of screaming women. Elena braced herself internally, she had no idea if their little scheme would come into play tonight or not. Hell, Damon could've already changed his mind.

Just in case, Elena had borrowed some clothes from Caroline. She felt too plain in her own basic wardrobe, and Caroline helped her find something more suitable. Clad in a leather mini skirt and a lacy tank top, she felt like she actually belonged and could pull off being his girlfriend. Pretending to be, her deceitful mind corrected.

They reached the front of the dancefloor quickly, what with Caroline blatantly shoving people off their path. They were right in front of the stage, and she felt jittery again. She could see Mason leering at her too, and her stomach did a few somersaults. Her life was such a tragedy as of late.

Just as she was about to run out and never look back, Damon walked on to the stage, accompanied by cheers and screams of the female variety. He smirked at the crowd and gripped his guitar harder.

Grabbing the mic, he did that eye thing she hated (it did things to her) and addressed the masses with a smirk. "Hi."

One word from him, and the crowd went nuts. Elena rolled her eyes. He was too charming for his own good. Damon saw her rolling her eyes and stuck his tongue out just for her, causing the girls in the club to go wild again.

"Is everyone having a good time?" He asked, and grinned cockily as he received more shrieks in response. "Let's get this party started then!"

Picking up his guitar, they began playing through their usual set of songs. Slow ones, faster ones, ones that made her blush due to the explicit lyrics. They all melted together as she swayed to the music and listened to him sing. He wasn't the best singer she'd ever heard, technically speaking. His voice, though, was an instrument to his emotions, and everything he sang, each line, was filled to the brim with it.

When Damon sang, he was being honest with himself. Listening to him was like getting closer to solving the mystery of his personality. She actually felt him in moments like these. Especially when his eyes found hers and he grinned at her like a little kid. He wasn't guarded, he just let himself be.

Another song ended, and they were nearing the end of their set. Elena clapped along with the others, bumping shoulders playfully with Caroline. Maybe she'd ask Caroline to leave with her after the last song. They could have a sleepover, maybe watch some chick flicks. All thoughts of the blonde quickly evaporated as he began talking into the mic again.

"This song is a very special song, and I'd like to dedicate it to a very special person. My girlfriend." Damon looked almost bashful as people around them began whispering rapidly in shock. He pointed at her and grinned. "She's right there in the front row."

Elena wanted the earth to open up and swallow her as every pair of eyes in the room found her. Caroline seemed to find it hysterical, and could barely stand up from how hard she was laughing. "I told you he wanted to be your boyfriend!" She said, without much care for who heard her.

Elena looked up at Damon, and he just saluted her playfully. Rolling her eyes once more, she focused on him as he began singing again.

_I've been beaten down, I've been kicked around, _

_But she takes it all for me._

_And I lost my faith, in my darkest days, _

_But she makes me want to believe._

She gasped silently as she took in the words. All of a sudden, she was finding it harder to remember the promises she'd made to herself earlier about being guarded with him. He locked eyes with her and smiled. Elena gave him a weak smile back. She looked to her side and saw Caroline smirking at her.

"Shut up, it's just a song," Elena muttered.

_They call her love, love, love, love, love. _

_They call her love, love, love, love, love._

_They call her love, love, love, love, love._

_She is love, and she is all I need._

Damon ended the song with a dramatic bow, and she couldn't help looking like the cat that ate the canary. Sure, their relationship was fake, and they were a disastrous pairing at best, but there was something about him. Something that made her feel free and light as a feather. Also, scanning the room, she saw several women looking at her enviously. No one had ever envied her before.

"That's all for tonight, guys!" He spoke into the mic. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get a drink before trying to slow dance with my girlfriend."

He jumped off the stage as the rest of the band began packing up their stuff. It was so typical of him, Elena noted, leaving the others to do all the heavy lifting. This was good, she thought, she should focus on all his shortcomings and avoid being swept off her feet even more.

"Peeing on you would be less ambiguous," Caroline noted yet again.

"Just let it go, Care." Elena sighed. "Damon and I are just..."

Strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist, and she was pulled up against a masculine chest. She sighed in contentment, and leaned up against him before her mind could put on the brakes.

"We're just what, sugar?" He crooned into her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin.

"Nothing, pumpkin." She quipped back.

Caroline looked at the pair they made, and raised her hands in the air in surrender. "I can't deal with how weird this is. I'm just gonna find Stefan and leave the two of you to work this shit out."

The blonde stomped off in a flurry of curls, and Elena giggled. She had managed to scare Caroline Forbes off with the help of her new boyfriend. Maybe there were benefits to this arrangement after all.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

Elena shook her head, and turned around to face him. "Just thinking."

The DJ put on a random slow song she'd never heard before, and she looked at him expectantly. Were they going to dance? Would he ask her, or should she leave now and save herself from the embarrassment? Before she got to make an informed decision, he'd pulled her up against his body again. Slowly, he began swaying to the music.

Elena giggled. "You didn't even ask if I wanted to dance!"

"I was being romantic, sweeping you off your feet and all." He smirked at her.

Elena began moving to the beat with him, throwing caution to the wind. With a small smile, she reached for his hand, and they began dancing with the smallest of steps.

"Ahh." She nodded.

"So...Is it working?" He asked.

Elena took the time to think it over, before replying. "I guess it's cool."

"God, you're such a bitch."

Elena stuck out her tongue. "Hey, but now I'm your bitch."

Damon rolled his eyes at her, and pulled her even closer to him in a gesture that almost felt protective.

"That you are."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>OMG I UPDATED, PRAISE THE LORD. OR ME. WHICHEVER WILL WORK. YOU CAN EVEN CHOOSE YOUR OWN DEITY IF YOU WANT. Wow, sorry, the caps were obnoxious. Anywho, the rumors of my death have been highly exaggerated ;) I wasn't inspired before, but now I'm back, and ready to amuse you all with merry tales! *Throws cookies* Thank you SO SO much for all your support! I know how frustrating I can be as a person, but I love you all and it all means a lot to me. *GROUP HUG*


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing. (Except your hearts, Lianne!)

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><p>"Damn it!" Elena muttered as she tried to navigate her cramped and cluttered room. The bus swerving from side to side did nothing to help her locate her buzzing phone. Whoever thought a tour bus was the epitome of a good time, was sorely mistaken.<p>

The things she had to deal with on a daily basis were unseemly at best, horrifying at worst. Finding a naked groupie sleeping with her two nights ago had been the high point. When she'd told Damon, he'd asked if he could join them, causing her to give him the silent treatment again. That, of course, only made him strive to annoy her even more.

He'd even begun serenading her outside her room on a nightly basis. She rolled her eyes. "Serenading" was just a lovely way of saying he sang "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails every night embarrassingly loud. Thank God she was equipped with a newly locked door and noise cancelling headphones.

She let out a sigh of relief as she noticed one of Damon's black shirts vibrating on the floor. Bending down, she fished her phone out of the offensive piece of clothing, and took the call without checking to see who was even calling her.

"What?" She sighed into the receiver.

"Seriously?" An amused voice asked on the other end. "You ditch your baby brother for a few weeks, and you lose all your manners. Rock n' roll really is the devil's music, isn't it?"

Elena smiled widely. "Jeremy! Oh my gosh, I've missed you so much!"

It was true, not a day had gone by without Elena frantically checking through Alaric if Jeremy was still alive and well. If the little scoundrel actually bothered to pick up his phone, she could've talked to him more. Nonetheless, she was just glad to hear from him again. He was all she had.

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too." She could practically hear him rolling his eyes at her sentimentality.

"Seriously! This place is crazy, Jer."

"Really?"

Elena frowned. There was something in his voice, something she couldn't pin down. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well..." Jeremy let his voice trail off. "I'm looking at the cover of the newest US Weekly, and you seem to be having...fun."

She gripped the phone with both hands, afraid she'd drop it otherwise. A cold chill ran through her spine. She'd done a lot of "fun" things in the past few weeks, and she had no clue what Jeremy was looking at or if the...context was coming through. Context was everything, after all.

"Elena? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I am." She cleared her throat apprehensively. "I just..."

Jeremy laughed on the other end. "Don't worry, it's just you making out with one of the biggest rock stars in recent history. Apparently you two are going steady now."

She pushed down the urge to go and buy every single copy of that stupid tabloid (she rolled her eyes, she was in no position to be throwing rocks), and worked to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Damon and I are just..."

"Attached at the mouth?" Jeremy laughed. "I gotta say, I've never been more proud of you."

She raised her eyebrows. "Come again?"

"I don't know." Jeremy began explaining. "You're always so uptight and worrying about everyone else. It's cool that you're having some adult fun."

"Oh my God, Jeremy, you did not just say that!" A hushed voice yelled on the other end, confusing Elena. "Elena is not having adult fun with anybody, let alone with some sleazy manwhore!"

"Don't meddle, Bonnie!" Jeremy groaned.

Elena smirked. She had seen this coming a mile away. "Oh, Jer. You better not be having non-adult fun with my best friend, cause that would just be weird."

He coughed. "I just...We just...Yeah."

Elena nodded. It was reassuring to find out that someone else was having trouble labeling things as well. "Keep it clean. Alaric will tell me if I have to come home early and kick your ass for kicking her heart."

"Got it." He replied, clearly looking for ways to swerve the conversation into another direction. "I actually called to ask you for a favor."

She furrowed her brows. What could he possibly ask for? They had no money to speak of, and Jeremy almost never asked her for anything, fearing the lack of means would only depress her further.

"Anything." Elena replied.

"I was hoping you'd say that." Jeremy grinned. "Bonnie and I wanna go to one of The Immortals' gigs."

"I do not!" Bonnie yelled.

"Bonnie, we talked about the meddling," Jeremy quipped, and Elena could hear some struggling on the other end. "But yeah, that's what **we** want."

Elena bit her lip. "Jer, I don't know... I'm not really in the position to be asking favors. Besides, we're in the middle of..." She looked out of the window and saw nothing but cows and endless fields of grass. "I don't even know where we are, but it's far from New York."

"'_Sources tell us that the lead singer of The Immortals is positively enamoured with his newest, and thus far first serious lady love. "No one's ever seen Damon act this way around a girl before, but Elena's really got him wrapped around her little finger."'_" Jeremy quoted the article mockingly.

Elena blushed. The sources were most likely made up, but she almost felt giddy at the thought of people validating their fucked up relationship. Still, could she consider bringing her best friend and her brother into this mess? The whole point was to keep their arrangement a secret, and Bonnie was like a dog with a bone. She'd never get away with it.

"I'll think about it, Jer." She sighed. Maybe that would get him off her back for a while.

"You're the best, Lena." Elena could hear him grinning on the other end, causing her to perk up as well.

"And don't you forget it!" She quipped back.

She missed this; joking with Jeremy, feeling the love and all. Life on the road was lonely, even with the people she'd met. Sure, she had sleepovers with Caroline, sexovers with Damon, and the occasional friendly talks with Stefan and Elijah, but it wasn't home. It was a shame that combining the two would probably cause the universe to collapse on itself.

"I need to run now, but I'll call you later, okay!" Jeremy hollered into the receiver. "I love you, sis!"

"I love you too, Jer!" Elena said hurriedly. "Tell Bonnie I said hi!"

Throwing her phone on to her bed, she wondered what else she had missed out on. Her brother was dating her best friend. That was weird enough, sure, but were there other changes? Life in the bus was like living inside a bubble. Nothing got out, nothing got in. All that existed was the bus, the band, and the bastard.

Someone knocked on her door. Walking over, she tried to rid herself of all the gloomy thoughts, and focus on the present. Opening the door, she nearly slammed it back shut, only he was faster and stuck his foot in.

"You rang?" Elena asked dryly.

Damon smirked and raised his guitar in the air. "I'm here to sing to you, m'lady."

Elena looked at him blankly. "I've heard the one about fucking like animals already. Got anything new?"

He appeared to consider it for a moment. He nodded to himself, before pulling out his pick. Adjusting the guitar strapped around his neck, he began strumming the chords expertly. She narrowed her eyes, trying to pinpoint the tune. Her eyes bugged out as she realized what song he was doing, just as he began singing as loud as he could.

"My loneliness is killing me, and I, I must confess, I still believe, still believe!" Damon let out a high-pitched shriek at the end, eliciting laughter from the people lining the floors of the bus. "When I'm not with you I lose my mind, give me a sign..."

"Get in before I really hit you," Elena grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him in, ignoring the cat calls.

Damon laughed as he jumped inside her room, obviously relishing this small victory. He smiled at her and his eyes crinkled adorably. Elena frowned. No, he was not adorable. In no way. At all.

He smoothed out his shirt and pouted. "You know, I don't think Britney meant that line all that literally."

Elena shrugged as she pushed the door closed. "She is handy with an umbrella."

Damon took a step towards her, only for her to take a step back. She raised her hand. "Don't. The closer you get, the less resistance I have."

Damon appeared to consider it for a whole of two seconds, before pouncing on her. He pushed her fully against the door she'd just closed. Elena sighed as her back hit the metal door with a thud. He encased her body with his arms, effectively trapping her, before locking her door with a click.

"That really is handy," He breathed out, his lips a hairsbreadth away from hers.

Elena looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "I got it so I could have some personal space."

"Not away from your boyfriend, though." He remarked.

Elena mulled it over. There were pros and there were cons. Pro, she didn't have to be in a fake relationship when she was inside her room. Con, she didn't have to be pretend to be in a fake relationship. It was all frustrating.

Elena sighed. "Damon, it's just that..."

She didn't get to finish her "responsible adult" speech before his lips descended upon hers. She didn't have it in her to complain or hit him again, she just didn't have the strength to turn him away. It was magnetic, the chemistry between them. He was the North to her compass, and she was constantly pointing at him.

"No, you don't need to talk," He whispered between heated kisses.

Wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deep, she couldn't help but nod. "Words are very unnecessary..."

Damon chuckled. Effortless, he grabbed her flannel-covered bottom, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Navigating her towards her bed, he dropped them on it with a laugh. "Depeche Mode? Seriously?"

Elena giggled, her hair fanned around her face. "I like them."

Damon rolled his eyes with a smirk. "Of course you do." Looking down into her smiling eyes, his face softened a smidgen, and she beamed up at him.

With a laugh, she grabbed his face and planted a sloppy kiss on his lips. "You know you like them. Just a little."

Letting his hands roam over the curves of her body, he let out a throaty laugh. "I guess I could be persuaded to see the appeal."

With practiced precision, Elena pulled his body down with the leg hooked around his waist. Grinding her hips into his, she smirked deviously. "I could totally persuade you."

He grinned. "Oh really?"

Elena nodded, determination written on her face. "Yup."

"By all means..." Damon let his voice trail off suggestively.

Pressing down on his hips with her legs, she flipped them over. He smiled up at her innocently, waiting for her next move. Elena trailed her hands down his chest, before toying with the hem of his t-shirt. She let her fingers dance across the patch of skin left exposed, enjoying the way he shuddered at the delicate touch.

Slowly, painfully so, she began lifting his shirt off his flawless god-like body. Once his chest was fully exposed to her mere mortal eyes, she lowered her body on to his, grinding her hips further into his as she went. Once she was on level with him, she began placing small butterfly kisses on every expanse of skin she could find.

Elena kissed his collarbone, the dip near his Adam's apple, before kissing her way down his smooth stomach. She kissed the ominous crow tattoo, wanting to take away whatever pain had caused him to get such a gloomy piece of body art. Finally, she placed her lips near the small tuft of hair leading into his black pants. He twitched beneath her expectantly, getting a chuckle out of her.

Tugging at the button on his jeans, she pulled them open, before working down the zipper. Achingly slow, she let her hand dip into his pants, and circle around the smooth skin of his length. He twitched in her grip, and she laughed.

"Relax," She smiled at him.

He raised his head and looked at her in disbelief. "You have your hand down my pants and you're telling me to relax? Honey, that's not how it works."

"Tough shit, pumpkin." She quipped back. "I'm persuading you, remember?"

Damon sighed frustratedly, before letting his head drop back against the pillow. Elena smiled inwardly. She liked being in control with him, it made her feel like she actually had some. Ignoring the fallacy in her thought process, she wrapped her fingers around his cock once more, lightly tracing the length. She let her hand move up and down softly, before moving her body down the bed.

Once she was situated in the right spot, she let her hair curtain her face as she kissed the tip of his hard length gently, before working him inside her mouth. Slowly, she began moving her mouth on him, occasionally sucking him by hollowing out her cheeks. Using her hands, she steadied herself on him, as she steadily moved up and down.

Elena heard Damon groan, and she laughed around him, knowing the vibrations would drive him crazy. Instantly, she felt his hands in her hair, guiding her movements. She obliged him, knowing full well he was at her mercy.

"Shit, Elena..." He groaned out, sounding like he was in pain.

With each pull of her mouth, she licked his length, knowing he was going to unravel any second now. He whined pitifully, and tried thrusting into her mouth, only for her to pull back. Tracing her fingers over his thighs, she cupped his balls and massaged them in her hands. Opening her mouth, she prepared to swallow around him, only for him to pull her up by her shoulders. Elena gasped in shock.

"What are you doing?"

Damon stared at her, his eyes feverish with desire. "You persuaded me. I just want to be with you...Or in you, but those two really do tend to go hand in hand..."

Elena rolled her eyes, and gripped his hair, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. Dipping her tongue inside his mouth, she fought for the control she'd previously had, only to find that he wasn't giving it up as easily. Damon kissed her back with equal fervor, letting his hands travel over the planes of her body.

"These..." He murmured, pointing at her pajamas. "Have got to go."

Elena nodded her consent, before wriggling out of the offending pants. Next, he attacked the t-shirt she was wearing, pulling it over her head. He stared down at her body, almost as if he was painting a mental image of sorts. She would've called him on the ogling, had she not done the same thing with him earlier, and if it wasn't so damn endearing. It was nice to feel wanted.

Gripping her hips with his strong hands, he hooked his thumbs into the corners of her lacy panties, and rubbed the skin. Once she was ready to wriggle out of her skin, he finally began lowering her underwear off her body. Moving her body, she helped him as best as she could, even as she could feel her brain turning into mush.

Elena exhaled slowly, looking into his eyes, and seeing her own desire reflected back at her. Almost tenderly, he kissed her on the lips. She cupped his face and kissed him back, before groaning as she felt him position himself at her entrance. He looked at her for confirmation, and she nodded rapidly. She was more than ready, and dying for some friction.

With one smooth move, he sheathed himself inside of her and she was breathless again. Elena looked into his eyes, and he stared down at her, wide-eyed and lost in his own world.

"You okay?" He asked.

Elena squeezed her inner muscles around his hard length, and thrust her hips against his. Damon gathered himself and chuckled. "Minx."

Smiling, she let him press her against the mattress and grip her hands in his. Pinning them over her head, effectively trapping her, he moved experimentally inside of her, and they both groaned. He thrust into her, just as she pushed back, and their bodies automatically synced.

Elena hooked her leg around his waist again, pulling him deeper against her, craving him, all of him on her. Resting his forehead against hers, their breaths mingled as they teetered on the precipice of the emotional abyss before them. She nuzzled his cheek softly, as she felt her insides bubbling.

"Damon, I need..." She moaned, unable to even find the words.

He understood her perfectly. With ease, he picked her body up off the mattress, and placed her smaller body in his lap, letting her straddle him. Pushing herself down, they both groaned as he was slammed to the hilt inside of her. She placed her hands on to his shoulders, and let her hips roll experimentally.

Damon nodded encouragingly, circling her waist with his arms, and moving her on top of his body. She rode his body at a languourous pace, enjoying the way he felt inside her, each thrust setting her aflame and shaking her to her core. It was illegal how good he was at this.

Picking up her pace, she grinded her hips into his, as their bodies came together over and over. He matched her, gripping her hips hard and pushing into her. Elena moaned into his mouth as she felt her insides rippling, signalling her climax. She bit her lip, and grabbed his face, kissing him hard, even as she slammed herself down on top of him. He pushed back just as hard, and their sweat slicked bodies met in perfect harmony.

Suddenly, she saw stars as she came with him inside of her, and he pounded into her roughly, chasing his own completion. Her inner muscles milked him and gripped his hard length tightly, and he followed her into oblivion a few moves later. She rested her head against his, until he lowered them on to her bed.

Without even thinking about it, she snuggled into his side, and he automatically made room for her in the crook of his shoulder. Damon pulled the covers over their forms, and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. Elena smiled, even as he couldn't see her face.

"I missed this." He said softly.

Elena finally snuck a peek at his face, and saw him looking at the ceiling. "Missed what?"

"I don't know," He sighed, "This."

"You were the one that wanted to have kinky threeway fun with the stray groupie." Elena snorted, reminding him of why they hadn't had "this" for a few days.

Damon laughed. "It was a suggestion, I didn't think you'd take it so seriously."

Elena smirked. "I didn't...I just wanted to see what you'd do if I locked you out."

"You're evil."

"And shouldn't you be going to your own room?" She asked playfully.

She could almost hear him thinking over his answer, but she didn't dare look up and confirm her thoughts. He was like a wild animal, any small movement could scare him off.

"If I leave now, everyone's gonna know I banged you like a screen door in a hurricane." Damon remarked nonchalantly.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Don't be crass. Is there some other reason for why you've commandeered my bed?"

"It's like...late."

"And?" She smiled.

"And," He sighed tiredly. "You're not the worst company in the world, Elena."

Elena smiled victoriously. She wasn't going to lie to herself. She was happy that he didn't want to leave. It meant something, and words were just so goddamn unnecessary at this point.

Cuddling up even closer to him, she kissed his cheek gently, before laying her head on his chest. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her and she started laughing hysterically.

Damon took a deep breath. "What now?"

Elena wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's just that...Oh gosh, Damon, don't you see what's happened? We're like an old married couple! It's Friday night and we're staying in and snuggling."

Damon groaned at her childish antics. "Shut up."

Moments later, he pulled her closer to him, and she secretly smiled once more. Yes, there was nothing adorable about him.

* * *

><p>"Oh no." Damon said firmly.<p>

Elena looked up at him, doing her best puppy eyes to change his mind. "No?"

"No."

"Okay, now it doesn't even sound like a word anymore." Elena sighed. "Are you sure?"

Damon stared at her incredulously. "Are you seriously asking me that? It's bad enough that my little brother is setting us up for play dates, but he shouldn't have full control over the content of these...dates."

He spat out the word like monogamy was contagious, and Elena rolled her eyes. He was incorrigible. "Come on, Damon, it's not that bad! All we gotta do is..."

"Eat ice cream and go watch some stupid chick flick." He finished her sentence for her. "This is ridiculous."

Elena glared at him. "It's not! This is what people do on dates. And as it happens, I have a sudden hankering for ice cream."

She bit her lip and stared him down with her wide eyes. Damon looked at her, clearly not sure where he factored into this equation. With another roll of her eyes, she grabbed his hand, and pointed towards an ice cream stand a few hundred feet away from them.

"Go buy me ice cream." Elena urged him.

He looked at her and scoffed. "Again, you are not serious. I don't do dates, I don't do girlfriends, and I most certainly don't do ice cream."

She placed her hands on her hips and glared. "Well you do now. Either you buy me ice cream and take me to see a Jennifer Aniston movie, or we're done."

Damon looked at her with clear amusement etched across his face. "Wait, you're actually giving me an ultimatum then? My pride versus a rom-com?"

Elena nodded. "Yes. Now move it, Salvatore. I'm giving you 10 seconds to start walking, after that I'm gone."

Damon glared back at her. "Not going to happen."

She smirked. "Seven, six, five, four..."

Grabbing his aviators off his collar, he put them on and stomped determinedly towards the man with the ice cream, all the while muttering something about how "women were evil". Elena smiled, patting herself on the back. She was enjoying herself, and every day she was more comfortable admitting that.

Damon wasn't an easy person to be around, or to even tolerate, but he was thrilling. She could easily see her getting addicted to him, and all the ways he brought her to life on a daily basis. Even now, she couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles as she saw him walking towards her. He, Damon Salvatore, asshole extraordinaire, was carrying two cones of strawberry ice cream in his hands. He looked positively mortified, and she couldn't help but laugh even harder at him for it.

"Shut up, people are looking," Damon hissed as he practically threw the other cone into her hands. Elena grabbed it gratefully, looking more than pleased.

"Come on, cheer up!" Elena nudged him. "We're at the mall!"

Damon looked at her apathetically. "Is that supposed to mean something? I'm not Caroline, you know."

Elena shrugged, licking her ice cream. She caught him looking at her, and she knew he was coming around to the idea of ice cream fast. "I know you're not Caroline. That would've made last night a truly revelatory experience."

"Don't get sassy." He nudged her right back with his shoulders. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be enjoying. People are staring at us."

Elena glanced around. It was true, everyone was staring at them as if they were a pair of endangered pandas about to start humping for show. A few people even pulled out their camera phones. She grimaced. Was this what he dealt with on a daily basis?

"Just ignore them." She said quickly. "The sun is shining, we have delicious sugary treats, and..."

She shut up quickly. She was deeply disturbed, and if she was lucky, Damon wouldn't call her on it.

"And?" He pressed.

Elena shook her head. "It was nothing."

"I'm here with you." Damon said slowly. "That's what you were about to say, right? That your presence makes up for all the other shit?"

She chuckled. "Yeah, my mind has a tendency to go to the crazy place, and it's just...dumb, yeah."

Elena bit a huge bit of ice cream off, ignoring the brain freeze, grateful to have something to shut her up. She stopped walking as she noticed him inspecting her again.

"What?" She asked.

Damon licked his ice cream slowly, as if trying to adjust to the unseemly taste of strawberry, and grinned. "It's not that dumb. You're not the worst company in the world, you know."

She smiled up at him in relief. "I think I've heard that somewhere."

They continued walking in comfortable silence, or in his case, uncomfortable. She wagered it had nothing to do with her in particular, he just wasn't comfortable with people, daylight, or open spaces, at least without a bottle of liquor.

"You look like a vampire, you know," She remarked casually as they walked past numerous shop windows. "You look so uncomfortable, and you're dressed in black, and you're just plain hot."

Damon chuckled. "Why thank you."

She grinned. "Ha! I got you to laugh! Score for humanity!"

He rolled his eyes, and reverted back into his shell. Elena sighed. They still had a few hours before their movie would start, and he was not giving her anything to work with.

"Tell me something about yourself." Elena tried.

Damon stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm curious." She answered flippantly.

"For yourself or for Saltzman?"

Elena looked at him, shocked. "I'm not asking for him or for the stupid paper, I'm asking because, I, Elena Gilbert, am curious."

Damon looked confused again. "Why?"

Elena was lost. What could she even say to that? "Because I care about you, and I want to have a nice time, and I want to know you."

"And why would you want to know me?" He asked with a casual smirk. Much too casual.

Elena looked down at her feet. "Because I care about you, you idiot."

Damon let out a small laugh, and licked off a piece of melting ice cream. "That's dumb, you know."

He began walking again, and she had to skip to catch up to his pace. "What?"

"Caring," He said quickly. "It won't lead to anything good, I hope you know that."

Elena resisted the urge to retreat. "It's my life. I get to choose."

Damon nodded, seemingly lost for words. "I was born in Chicago. I like it there."

Elena looked at him, shocked that he would disclose that. "I've never been there!"

"You'll get there in a few days, we're doing a gig there." Damon said calmly. "It's nice. I think you'll like it."

"As long as you'll show me around." She quipped back at him.

He tensed up, before sighing and continuing to eat his ice cream in silence. Elena studied him, and felt her own good mood dissipate. He was all snark and bravado, but he wasn't...light. Ever. Granted, she wasn't the happiest person either, especially in comparison to people like Stefan and Caroline, but Damon? He was just plain unhappy.

"Okay, stop." Elena commanded him, getting sick of his sullen mood.

He glared at her. "What now, oh dearest ball and chain?"

Elena ignored the sarcasm, and focused on the problem at hand. "You're too uptight!"

"I'm uptight?" He asked disbelievingly. "Says the girl who was 25 going on 50 when I first met her."

"You know what I mean." Elena said. "Loosen up."

"I did see a bar earlier..." Damon pointed towards the entrance of the mall.

"Nope, you gotta do this sober." She wasn't going to budge on that.

Damon sighed. "Elena, this isn't my kind of fun, okay! If you think it is, then maybe we're really just looking for different things out of our fake relationship."

She sighed once more. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was just out of her league, and looking for things in him that just weren't there. She'd always been an optimist, and always strived to see the best in people, but maybe she'd just have to settle with him.

Elena abandoned that thought a few seconds later as an idea came to her. Before he had time to react, she'd shoved her ice cream cone into his face, mushing it all over his skin. She jumped back a few steps and held in her laughter as small pieces of the crushed cone came dripping down off his skin.

Damon opened his eyes and stared at her in disbelief, his mouth flopped open comically. "You did not just do that."

"I did." She grinned.

Damon raised his own ice cream cone in the air dramatically. "It's on, Gilbert."

She shrieked in horror as he advanced on her, and she began running away from him. Running as fast as she could, she laughed at the idea of what they looked like.

"Damon, you can't do this!" She yelled as she circled a column. He stalked her with his ice cream, and showed no signs of retreating.

"You started it!" He yelled from the other side of the same column.

Elena saw him moving, and switched sides again, groaning as she saw him doing the same. "Are you twelve?"

"Look at my face!"

Elena grinned, not paying attention to his movements. . "I'm sorry, I can't see your face because it's covered in some mysterious light substance, but..."

She didn't get to finish her thought, as he pushed her against the column and smashed his cone all over her face. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he only pushed her back against the concrete harder, smearing the ice cream all across her skin.

Elena gasped for breath and giggled at the sight they made. She giggled even harder as she saw Damon still giving her his best "kicked puppy" look.

"I hope you're happy now." He glowered at her.

Elena laughed at him. "Not yet. I still want ice cream."

"You already had your fucking ice cream, if you want some more, you're just gonna have to..."

He was cut off as Elena brought his face to hers, kissing every inch of skin she could find, laughing against his skin. She licked his skin, occasionally nipping at it, causing him to groan out loud, even as she continued to laugh.

"It's that funny?" He asked, his face still half covered in ice cream.

Elena grinned and nodded excitedly.

"I guess I'll just have to see for myself then." He shrugged.

Elena shrieked as he attacked her face, licking the ice cream off her skin. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, kicking her legs out, only for him to grind his hips into hers, swallowing her screams by his mouth. Rubbing his nose against hers, he started laughing hysterically.

"You...What you..." Damon gasped for breath in between laughs. "You are ridiculous."

"Why thank you." Elena giggled, feeling pleased with herself. She'd gotten him to have a good time, even without sex and alcohol.

He smiled at her. "Don't get cute. You are insane."

Elena slapped a hand to her face, gathering some of the leftover ice cream, and tried to smash it into his face again. He grabbed her wrist as she tried to advance on him, and wrapped an arm around her waist, causing her to lose her balance. She laughed harder as he had to dip her in typical rom-com fashion.

Damon shook his head with amusement. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. "In a good way or in a bad way?"

Damon pulled her up, and steadied her by wrapping his arms around her waist. "In a very, very bad way."

Elena looked at him, confused, but shook it off quickly. Damon grabbed her hand expectantly. "Come on, we better get cleaned up before our stupid fucking movie."

"It'll be an amazing fucking cinematic experience," Elena bit back.

"Shut up, you have no taste."

Rolling her eyes, Elena let him have the round. She'd already won in her own mind. Looking down, she smiled once more.

He was holding her hand.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Eep! An update! This fast! And no cliffhanger! WHAT. IS. HAPPENING. Oh good gosh! *Cracks knuckles* I have to say, I had A LOT of fun writing this one, and I really hope you all enjoyed it! In fact, I have so much hilarity in store for you guys...Wait, what was I even saying. Oh yeah, I'm just plain excited xD Thank you so much for all your support! Seriously, the reviews I get from you guys just light up my dishwater dull life. To go all Jerry Maguire on you all, you complete me. Can I get an "Awww"? xD *Group hug*

Actually, reviews saying that I "seem like a nice person" make *me* "Awww". I think it's nice to get that kind of support, and it's lovely if you feel like you can connect with me personally even through my writing, or more. Wow, I suddenly feel like all this talk about "connecting" is gonna lead to some kinky fun times...I do have handcuffs at home, so you know. Well, no one knows, since I appear to have gone off on another insane tangent lol. Anywho, it just really means a lot to me :)

NOW...There IS something I'd like to address. This has nothing to do with you guys personally, but with this site in general. The site has now decided to publish stats for stories, and use them as a means to sort stories, and sort them by reviews. I have some serious issues with this. For one thing, I've always felt like the stats are private. I can share hits sometimes with my friends, but nothing more. I can't explain it any further than that, that's just how I feel.

But beyond that, I still remember when I was starting out as a writer, insecure and all alone in this. The first chapter of IYCAM got 20 reviews. Okay, that IS a lot for my first real fic, but not that much compared with the numbers it pulls in nowadays. Anyway, my point is, we all have to start somewhere. And sorting us through stats just makes it SO much harder for people to find these diamonds in the rough (not referring to my own work at all, but there are so many amazing undiscovered writers). If you want to go against the current and just be really cool in general; Don't just go for the fics with the highest amounts of reviews, or the highest number of followers - Look for new stories that desperately need support, and authors who'll be inadvertently bullied by a system like this.

I'm sorry for rambling about this so much, but it really bothers me, because it brings up all sorts of cattiness. Anyway, I really really hope you guys liked this chapter :) *Throws cookies at everyone*

*ANOTHER GROUP HUG*


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up to the bus coming to an abrupt halt. Raising her body, she cracked the shutters on her window and was met with a refreshing, yet comforting urban view. She was a city girl at heart, as she had lived most of her life in New York, and living in the bus was proving to be tough. They'd been on the road for the past few nights and her only view had been an ever-changing array of cows and fields. The city scene she was looking at now was a relief to her senses, as she welcomed the the bustling sounds of traffic.<p>

"Damon." She nudged the sleeping man beside her. The arm wrapped loosely around her waist tightened. He'd been sleeping next to her every night since their first date. She didn't know what to make of it, it just felt natural with the amount of time they were spending together.

Without making any effort to move, he cursed softly. "Go the fuck to sleep."

Kicking him beneath the covers, Elena grinned when he finally opened his eyes to glare at her. "What is your problem, woman?"

Elena nodded towards the window. "Look. We're in Chicago."

He rolled his eyes. "That was your big announcement? What's next? You'll wake me up to tell me Caroline wants to go shopping? For a journalist, you really do have a knack for stating the obvious."

Elena shrugged. "I know. Like how I've been making my bread and butter for over a month now by telling people that you're an asshole. So obvious, makes you wonder why they even pay me."

"That's not exactly all they pay you for." Damon waggled his eyebrows.

Elena rolled her eyes. "If that's your way of implying that I'm paid to be your whore, then you have another thing coming."

Pulling the covers off her body, she tossed her legs over the edge of the bed, prepared to leave him. It was no use to try and talk to him when he was merely trying to get a rise out of her. She was above his petty crap. Before she could get up, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves around her waist.

"I didn't mean that."

Elena shrugged in his arms. "Still a dick move."

"I am a dick."

"I should've expected it, really."

Damon clung tighter to her body, as if trying to nonverbally voice his regret. Elena leaned against his back, slowly relaxing into it.

"Maybe you're paid to let me be your whore." He whispered in her ear.

Elena let out a laugh. "Ric doesn't actually know that this is happening. And he never will."

"Would it be that bad?"

Elena exhaled. "It'd be worse."

Turning around, she met his gaze straight on. "I'm not that girl, Damon. I don't sleep around for stories. I have a little brother that looks up to me, and I want to be taken seriously."

"I can see that." He said quietly, almost appearing lost in thought. He snapped out of it quickly, though, and looked at her with determination. "And you don't have to worry. Ric's not gonna find out. The sex is for us, the relationship is for him and Stefan."

Elena cringed. "The way you say it, it sounds like they're our pimps."

Damon shrugged. "I guess that means we're whores together?"

She gave him a look. "You're not funny."

"I'm not funny, I'm hilarious." He grinned. Elena smiled, unable to resist the boyish smile on his face. He could look so young at times, when he allowed himself to drop the act.

Moving herself closer to him, she straddled him and brought her hands up to cup his face. Gently, she caressed the frown lines that took over his face due to her intimacy with him. It was something she was picking up on more and more.

Damon had no issues having sex with her, or even pretending to date her. It was actual intimacy and gentleness that he seemed to frown upon. Literally. She liked to think that it too was a part of his rockstar facade, but something told her it ran deeper than that.

Kissing the crevice between his brows, she felt him slowly relax under her ministrations.

"Please come out with me." She whispered.

That was why she had woken him up in the first place. Chicago was where he'd grown up, and she wanted nothing more than to have him show her around. She didn't quite know where she stood with him, but she wanted more. In what sense, she didn't even know.

Damon remained silent uncomfortably long before finally answering her. "The show doesn't start for another 4 hours."

"That means we have plenty of time." Elena insisted.

Sneaking up on her, he grabbed her waist, and forced her to lie down again. Elena sighed in frustration, before he stole a kiss from her.

"It means we have plenty of time to stay in." Damon whispered suggestively.

"And do what?" Elena raised her eyebrows. "I'm not having sex with you again tonight."

Pushing him off her, she got off the bed and began looking for something to wear. As much as she hated to admit it, she quite liked her new wardrobe, courtesy of one Caroline Forbes. Picking up a pair of skinny jeans and a black t-shirt, she started dressing herself.

"I'm gonna go out and see the city. You can stay here and have fun with your hand, or come with me."

Damon tossed a pillow at her head, which she quickly dodged. Grinning at him victoriously, she fell down on to her knees before him, with her hands clasped in prayer.

"Please, please, oh sexy rock god of mine, do me the honor of accompanying me. Please. Pretty please. With a cherry on top?" She pleaded dramatically, getting a kick out of her groupie act.

Giving him her best puppy eyes, she anxiously waited for his answer. Finally, he let out a groan and covered his face with his hands. She smirked when he wasn't looking. She wasn't the only one with a flair for the dramatic in their relationship.

"Fine! But no more fucking ice cream, okay?" He grumbled discontentedly.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Fine! Now get dressed, we're leaving in 5."

After she had finally managed to drag Damon out of the bus, they started walking towards the city centre. Noticing people on the streets observing them curiously, Elena wondered why the question had never come to her before.

"Hey, Damon?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He turned his head towards her, furrowing his brows inquisitively.

"I was just wondering..." Elena tasted the words on her tongue. "How come you don't have a bodyguard?"

He let out a laugh at that. "Why the fuck would I want one?"

"I just figured, your music tends to draw quite an interesting crowd." She shrugged, uncomfortable with the idea of explaining herself. He didn't need to know more.

Unfortunately for her, he seemed to catch on to her thought process fairly quickly. He nudged her playfully. "Aww, is my little missus afraid of some angst-ridden teenager pulling a switchblade on me?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her personal space, causing him to laugh out loud. "You wish, you dork."

He collected himself and put his calm mask on, before continuing. "I never felt the need. Stefan keeps insisting on it, but there's no protecting me."

"That's a winning attitude," She muttered under her breath.

He lit a cigarette and looked at her pointedly. "I'd probably just get hammered two days in and beat up the person in charge of protecting me."

Elena snorted. "Try that with me, and I'll punch your lights out, mister."

He didn't stop walking, but his face turned into a slight grimace. She waited for him to reply, but as the silence between them grew longer, she knew he was shutting down again.

"It was a joke, you dork." She nudged him, putting on her brightest smile. She just couldn't understand his mood swings.

Her playful attitude seemed to help matters, though, and he gave her a small smirk. "I know my cock is big, but referring to me as a whale's penis really isn't necessary."

She blushed furiously, looking around to see if any of the bypassers had heard him. "You should say that a little louder, I don't think that little girl in a princess outfit heard you!"

Damon openly grinned at her. "You're so shy! How is anyone supposed to believe you're dating a rock star when you're that scared of a few bad words?"

"I'm not scared!" Elena huffed. "It's vulgar. Stop it."

"Don't use the word 'vulgar', you sound like my fucking grandmother, who by the way, was a real fucking bitch."

Elena rolled her eyes. He was too stubborn. "Great. Not only are you a raging hothead who needs his brother to fix his playdates, but you also have Tourette's. Lucky me."

Looping an arm around her waist, he brought her close to him, and she felt his breath tickle her ear. "Come on. I know you like our playdates."

She pushed against his arms, only to find that he was reluctant to let her go. Rather than letting her go, he wrapped his arms around her tighter, and began walking again. Shrugging it off, she leaned against him and let herself get swept up in the side show that was her new boyfriend.

It made sense that people stared at him, she thought to herself. In his own way, he was radiant, mysterious, even alluring. Granted, his personality may have been lacking in certain aspects, but even so, she was beginning to understand the appeal.

She was stirred from her thoughts as she felt an insistent tap on her arm. She stopped and turned around to face the person.

"Excuse me?"

The girl before her could not have been older than 16. She had freckled skin and braces, her face otherwise framed with wild red curls. Holding a notepad and a pen, she was bouncing on her toes like a live wire.

"Yes?" Elena asked politely.

"I-I'm so sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if–"

Damon tugged on her arm insistently. "Come on, Elena. Let's go."

She shrugged off his hand and glared at him. He got the message and went to light a cigarette a few feet away from them. Turning around to face the adolescent intruder again, she put on her best and brightest smile.

"I'm really so sorry." The girl repeated again.

Elena smiled at her. "It's perfectly okay. Can I help you with something?"

The girl bit her lip, and tugged some of her unruly curls behind her ear. "I know you must get this all the time, and it's gotta be a pain, but could I have your autograph?"

Elena's mouth flopped open, and she physically had to will herself not to laugh. "You...want my autograph?"

The girl nodded eagerly. "If it's not too much trouble! God, all my friends would be so jealous, we just love you guys together!"

"You...love us together?" Why would anyone love them together? She was confused. Their relationship in the public eye was a complete sham, after all.

"I'm sorry, I know that's a weird thing to say, but he looks happier around you. It's cute." The girl gave a small shrug, before extending her notepad.

Elena scrunched up her face, before letting a small smile overtake her features. She couldn't say she was entirely unhappy about the girl's take on their "relationship". She wanted Damon to be happy, she wanted to have something to do with his happiness.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"Katie."

Elena diligently signed her name, addressing the signature to the girl, and making sure not to smudge the paper.

"There you go." She returned the girl's pen and paper.

"Thank you so much, Elena!"

The girl skittered off with impressive speed. Elena chuckled, and took a minute to think about the direction her life had taken. She couldn't wrap her head around someone wanting her signature. She was a nobody. At least Jeremy would get a kick out of that story.

"Enjoying your brush with fame?" He put his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck gently. She leaned into him, unable to resist the feel of his body against hers.

"They don't actually like me, you know." Elena sighed. "They think we're cute."

She could almost sense the waves of derision floating off him. She knew she didn't fit his image.

"Aren't we, kind of?"

Turning around to face him, she grabbed the cigarette hanging from between his lips, and tossed it away.

He glared at her, and she crossed her arms and gave him a look.

"What?"

Elena raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? You were beyond against this idea, you made our first date challenging to say the least, and I had to beg you to even come out with me."

"Your point?"

"You think we're cute?"

"You don't?"

Elena sighed. "Forget it, you can't be serious about anything."

She started walking away again, wanting to clear her head, when he softly wrapped his hand around her wrist.

"Wait, please." Something in his voice made her turn around.

Damon looked down and groaned. "Look, I didn't want to date anyone. I still don't."

Elena felt a pang in her chest. She forced herself to listen further, knowing he was saying things she ought to have known by now.

He cursed under his breath. "This is so fucking stupid. I don't know how to do this, because I feel like I disappoint you right off the bat. But it's still okay. Not when you're hitting me or writing slanderous articles about me, but yeah."

She openly gaped at him. "You think you're the disappointment?"

"Aren't I? You're intelligent, hot, and quite entertaining, especially when you sing The Runaways songs in the shower, and..."

"Damon." She cut him off, knowing he was about to go down another tangent.

He gave her a half smile. "You could get a real relationship, a real job. A real life. Instead of signing autographs for tweens, and living in a bus."

She couldn't believe him. He was the one that had challenged her to make a change, and take a risk with him. Had it all been an act, did he really think she was wasting her time? She was suddenly saddened by the idea that his self-esteem could be that poor.

"Look, Damon." She began, licking her lips swiftly. She was tasting the words on her tongue, picking them carefully, scared of scaring him. "We're between a rock and a hard place. But we're both adults, and we can do this. And...It's not bad."

He narrowed his blue eyes at her suspiciously, as if doubting her sincerity. "The sex doesn't suck."

She rolled her eyes, and closed the gap between them. Bringing her hands up to his face, she cupped his cheeks, caressing the stubbly skin gently. He ever so slightly leaned into her touch. Pecking him on the lips, she smiled at him radiantly.

"I wasn't talking about the sex."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Salvatore, where's your girlfriend?"<p>

"Fuck off." Damon yelled at Tyler, as he walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. Soundcheck had been hell, his bandmates making snide comments about his new "relationship". It was her fault. The shirt she'd bought for him hadn't helped matters at all. She was so problematic.

Flopping down on the coach, he closed his eyes. He loved the VIP rooms at the venues they performed at. He could smell it all, the sex, the drugs, and the rock 'n roll. It always made him smile, despite himself. He was most free here, in his own element. He wasn't bound by the past, not when thousands of people chanted his name. He was god-like.

"Damon, you're on in 10 minutes."

He cracked open an eye, and threw one of the cushions at Stefan. "Elena woke me up obscenely early, can't they do a few songs without me? Have Mason sing, that's always funny."

Stefan chuckled. "She really has you whipped, doesn't she?"

He huffed. "Hardly. She just has one of those grating personalities, where if you don't do what she wants, she'll keep begging you over and over and over, and..."

"You just can't say no." Stefan grinned as he finished Damon's sentence for him. "Seriously, bro, what is up with the shirt?"

Damon looked down at himself. "The rhinestones make my baby blues pop."

"'My girlfriend went to Chicago and all I got was this lousy t-shirt'?" Stefan's eyes scanned his shirt as he read. "Christ, what'd she promise you to get you to wear that thing?"

Damon gave him a toothy grin. "We had a little photoshoot."

Stefan looked horrified, before shaking his head. "You know what, I don't need the details. You're clearly a bad influence on her."

"Hey, it was the lady's idea."

His brother rolled his eyes. "I guess it's lucky for you that the North American leg of the tour is coming to an end in three weeks."

Damon closed his eyes for a second. He hadn't realized their time was coming to an end so soon. What would happen then? He knew, of course, what would happen. They would go their own ways.

Stefan looked at him sympathetically. "It's not that bad. Who knows, you two could always just..."

"What, Stefan?" He barked out, with a bit too much bite in his tone. Stefan lowered his eyes, and Damon knew he'd fucked up. Stefan had just been trying to help, after all. That was his brother's most annoying trait, he couldn't let things lie.

"Nothing. Good luck tonight." Stefan skulked off, most likely to find Caroline.

Damon leaned back. What a mess. He was gladly stewing in his own misery, when he felt someone sit down beside him. He opened his eyes. It was a groupie, one of the easier ones. She had fake tits, bleached hair, and claw-like nails. She stenched of cheap perfume, and all the things he loved about clubs.

"Hey, there." She purred out. "You look lonely."

Damon looked at him, feeling her breath on his skin. She was too close, and he could feel her warmth through her flimsy clothes. Had he slept with her before? Most likely.

"I don't..." He stammered out. For the first time, he was unsure of how to talk to women. It was easy to him. He gave them the smile, said a few sweet things, before ripping their clothes off with his teeth. It was an unbeatable formula to panty-dropping success.

She put her hand on to his knee, and he looked at it, conflicted. No one had touched him that intimately in a while, except for one person. The person that appeared to consume his thoughts these days, more often than not.

"Let me make you feel better."

His hands were trembling lightly. To touch, to not touch. He was fairly certain that he didn't want anything to do with the Anna-Nicole wannabe before him, but he always touched. He left no one cold. Elena was leaving in a few weeks anyway, and this was his life. It was high time for him to come back down to earth.

Everything moved in slow motion. He saw the lips approaching his own, puckered and covered in an obscene bubblegum pink color. He felt sick, paralyzed in his seat. He couldn't do this right now, his mind was too messed up for it.

He turned away at the last second, looking for an exit route. His eyes locked with another's, and he felt his stomach drop. The rich chocolate eyes looking back at him looked hurt. Elena stood in the doorway, wearing her black "I'm with stupid" t-shirt, and simply stared at him. She turned around and walked away.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you, Caroline, he was almost kissing her!" Elena sighed. "What is wrong with me? Stupid, idiotic, brain-dead Elena!"<p>

She slapped herself on the forehead, before letting her head drop against the bar counter. She had terrible taste in men, that was the only explanation.

"Elena, did you actually see him kiss her?" Caroline asked.

"No." She groaned. "But they were so close, you should have seen them."

Caroline pat her on the shoulder. "Look, coming from someone with experience, don't let looks deceive you. You don't know what they were doing, or if he was even reciprocating."

"You think I should talk to him, huh?" She wasn't in the mood to talk, too busy licking her wounds.

"Innocent until proven guilty, babe." Caroline shrugged and ordered a shot of tequila.

Elena motioned for the bartender as well. If she had to talk to him, she most certainly didn't want to do it sober. Downing her own shot with a grimace, she put down the shot glass.

"Men suck."

Caroline giggled. "We should just hook up, spare each other the pain."

Elena snorted. "Yeah, you could get it."

"Is there something I should know?"

Stefan appeared from behind Caroline's back, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Caroline nuzzled his neck, and sighed happily.

"Nope, we're just talking about what a buttwipe your brother is." She exclaimed happily.

Stefan gave them a dark look. "Did he yell at you guys too?"

"At ease, soldier." Elena sighed. "He didn't exactly have enough time to yell."

Stefan nodded. "Between you and me, I think I upset him."

"Stefan, you don't have to take responsibility for his actions." Caroline defended him vehemently.

"I know, I know," Stefan sighed, "It's just...You guys didn't see him when I mentioned that..."

He paused, deep in thought. Elena scrutinized him, and he looked almost nervous.

"When you mentioned what?" She asked.

Stefan looked her in the eyes. "When I mentioned the end of your contract."

"Yeah, this just got awkward." Caroline chimed in. "You couldn't have let her think her pseudo-boyfriend was a rat? Now she's doing the frowny thing again, and no amount of Botax is gonna get rid of those wrinkles."

"Sorry." Stefan lifted up his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry you had to deal with him, Elena. He gets in his moods, I'm sure he didn't mean it, whatever it is he did."

Elena nodded, lost in thought.

"I need to go backstage, but I'll talk to you guys later."

Stefan left, leaving them alone once more. The club was almost full, and she could hardly hear her own thoughts. All the information she had absorbed was messing with head. Had he been cheating on her? Probably not. Had he wanted to? She wasn't sure.

"It's your fault, you know." Caroline whispered conspiratorially.

Elena raised her eyebrows. "He may or may not have cheated on me. How is that my fault?"

Caroline gave her a sympathetic look. "You knew who he was. You wrote more than a few scathing columns about it. He is a womanizing, self-loathing, mess of a person, and you chose him. You two aren't in a relationship, not really. You're only as affected by this charade as you allow yourself to be."

"I thought you supported our relationship."

Caroline sighed. "Elena, I love you. And you know I'm a total Delena shipper, but you can't go into 'relationship' thinking that the other person is going to change for you. Don't let it get to you."

She nodded. Caroline was right, in her own offputtingly blunt way. The old Elena would have eaten ice cream and moped about the evils of the male sex, but the new Elena? She was done taking crap from people.

"Oh look!" Caroline yelled. "They're setting up. Come on, I wanna get closer to the stage!"

The blonde grabbed her hand before she could object, and began dragging her to the dancefloor. Elena took a deep breath. It wasn't as if she had anything to feel bad about. He was the dick. Maybe. In either case, she wasn't about to be scared off this time.

The band appeared on stage, and the crowd burst into thunderous applauds and cheers. She scowled when she saw that he'd taken off the shirt she'd bought for him. He hadn't been obligated to wear it to the performance itself, but it still made her cranky. For one thing, he was now shirtless for all to see, and she could hear many girls squealing all around her. He grinned and greeted them with that stupid smile of his, and she could feel her blood start to boil beneath her skin.

His eyes scanned the room, before locking with hers, and she waved at him pleasantly. He stilled for a split second, before grinning widely again. Grabbing the mic, he began the show. Elena chuckled to herself. What a show it was.

He was practically frenching the mic, and with his body exposed, the fans were going crazy. The steady beat of the bass, and the scorching heat coming off the lights made her perspire, and she could see that some of the other women were getting...hot too.

Damon grabbed one of the incoming bras, smirking at the crowd, without even missing a beat. He continued singing, crooning soulfully into the mic, all the while being showered with more underwear. Elena could feel her bad mood shift into full-on rage. She couldn't define the feeling, she just knew she wanted to kick something.

"He might be an asshole, but goddamn, that boy is fine." Caroline yelled over the music, swaying from side to side.

Elena stood there, staring at him. "Yeah, I think you're right."

In that moment, she wanted to grab the weaves off all girls who had thrown their bras at him. She wanted to smash ink bottles in their purses, kick them in their shins, and TP their houses. All the works. She scowled at the whole room.

They finished their set to loud cheers, and Damon took a quick bow before disappearing backstage. Elena glared in his direction.

"Go to him." Caroline nudged her.

"What?" Elena asked, stirred from her jealous rage.

Caroline gave her a look. "Go."

Elena nodded, and walked over to the backstage area, passing bodyguards and bouncers as she went. She had an all-access pass because of her relationship status. The thought would have amused her another time.

She could see him, he was walking right ahead of her. Resisting the urge to scream, she sprinted forward, and seized his wrist. He turned around with a start, glaring daggers. His eyes softened a bit when he saw her face.

"Elena, I-"

"Shut up." Elena growled.

She grabbed his arm tightly. There was a door to the side of the hallway, and she pushed it open, and shoved him inside. It was a tiny supply closet, perfect for what she needed. The darkness was just an added bonus.

"What are you doing, are you out of your-"

Elena pushed him hard into a shelf behind his back. Smashing her lips against his, she trapped him between her arms. Kissing him violently, she plundered his mouth, letting him taste all her bitterness and frustration.

"Shut the fuck up, Damon." She hissed. "This isn't going to work if you talk."

Grinding her hips into his, she pulled his zipper down, and quickly wrapped her hand around his length. She squeezed him lightly, and brought her lips to his neck. With slight tugs, she worked him over, while kissing his jugular. He hissed, and she used her other arm to block him from moving.

"Let me make this clear." She whispered, and bit down lightly on the tender skin of his neck. He shivered under her administrations. Pushing his jeans down, she got down to her knees.

She licked the tip of his aching hardness quickly, before looking up at him in the darkness.

"As long as I'm here, you are mine."

Covering him with her mouth, she sucked on him hard, bobbing her head and up and down furiously. He tried to place his hands on her head, but she slapped them away. Licking him up and down, she relaxed her jaw, bringing him almost fully inside her mouth. She'd show him, he was not going to dismiss her. He let out a pained groan, as she hummed lightly, the vibrations hitting his sensitive skin. She popped him out of her mouth, and took a deep breath.

Getting up, she dusted herself off before shrugging her jeans off. "I am here, because I want to be here. You will respect that, you will not fuck with me."

Pushing him against the shelves again, she jumped him. Wrapping her slender legs around his waist, she placed her feet on one of the shelves for support. He seemed to get the message, and steadied her with hands that were surprisingly shaky.

Grasping him in the palm of her hand again, she let her nails rake his pulsating member, enjoying the way he trembled once more. Lifting herself up, she sank down on to him.

"You are **mine**." She whispered.

She took a deep breath, as her inner muscles adjusted to his size. Slowly, she began moving on him, holding him in place. Elena began going faster, bouncing up and down on him. She was using him for her own pleasure, and it felt gratifying.

"Elena..."

"Ask nicely, you asshole."

"Please, can I...just..."

She kissed him deep, not missing a beat. "Fuck me."

Damon didn't need to be told twice. He placed his hands on her ass, and pushed her against the door. He drove into her with a desperate need, like a man starved for water. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, clawing at his back.

He brushed a spot inside of her, and she mewled in ecstasy. It was always so new, so exciting with him. Matching him move for move, she massaged him with her inner muscles, their combined juices slicking the way. Over and over, he pounded into her, and she clutched him tighter to her, as they moved in perfect synchronicity.

She came with a muffled scream, her tight wet heat clenching him, as she continued to move languidly above him. He followed her a few shaky thrusts later, spilling himself inside of her, before resting his head on the crook of her shoulder.

She lifted herself off of him, and pushed him away from her. Before he could say a word, she slapped him.

"Don't tell me I was wrong, because I wasn't. Maybe you weren't kissing that girl, but I saw you thinking about it while she was practically on your lap." She spoke calmly.

"I didn't cheat on you."

Elena nodded. "I believe you. I just don't trust that you wouldn't have, and it scares me."

Slowly, with apparent trepidation, he moved closer, and wrapped his arms around her waist, looping her into an awkward hug. She placed her forehead against his muscular chest.

"Please, just..." She began.

"What?" Damon whispered.

"Don't make a fool out of me."

Elena wanted to fall on to the floor and bawl her eyes out. She couldn't believe that she'd actually become the cliche. She had fallen for the bad boy, hook, line, and sinker, and despite all her grandiose speeches, she was weak. Too weak to leave before she inevitably got hurt.

"I won't."

She nodded. She wanted to believe the beautiful lie. Caroline was right, in a way, it was all her fault.

He helped her clean up, and they left the closet, walking side by side. Feeling more awkward than sexy now, Elena found herself once again hoping she was in her own room. What had she been thinking, jumping him like that? She had never felt this territorial before, and she needed time to think about it. She needed to speak with Bonnie.

She was aroused from her thoughts, when Stefan came running towards them.

"Where have you guys been? I've been looking all over the place for you!" He exclaimed.

"Playing checkers." Damon said, more subdued now. "What do you need?"

"Go through the back exit. There's a car waiting for you there."

Elena jumped in. "Why?"

Stefan sighed. "A mob of reporters."

"And?" Damon asked, much to Elena's confusion. Wasn't an angry mob enough of a reason to bolt?

Stefan gave him a pointed look. "And other people that want to see you and your new girlfriend."

Elena looked up at Damon, and saw him examining Stefan with cold, calculating eyes. He finally nodded, before reaching for her hand.

"Thanks." He muttered in Stefan's direction, before he began leading them towards the back exit.

"What was that about?" Elena asked.

"Nothing." Damon sighed. "And please don't ask."

Elena nodded. "Okay."

She didn't want to pick a fight. After all, it wasn't as if she could make him tell her. She was fast coming down from her high. Just a moment ago, she had felt in control of herself, and assertive.

Now she felt powerless again.

* * *

><p>He hadn't been able to sleep. The thoughts were consuming him, even as her warm body provided a momentary safe haven. He'd left her in his bed, making sure her sleep wasn't troubled by his disappearing act. She didn't need to know about any of this.<p>

Walking down the dark, damp alley, he could see the familiar faces huddled close. One of them noticed him. He wasn't sure if he was happy about it, and flashed back to earlier that night; as with the groupie, he felt paralyzed again, helpless to stop any of it.

"Yo, look who we have here! Came to greet your old buddies?" The other man spoke to him as if they were the best of friends.

Damon walked forward slowly, and extended his hand. In it, were a bunch of crumpled up bills. The man looked at the bills, before looking up at him, and finally looking at the bills again.

"The usual, then?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hii! Yelling is allowed, but please refrain from throwing any sharp objects. I ain't cool with rotten produce either, k. I am SO sorry about the wait. I've had a bit of a crazy year, and I was simply feeling too exhausted to try and write. And I think that whenever I update, I should update with the kind of chapter that I can be proud of (even if it's not always my best work, per se), and that occasionally takes time. It was quite sad, because I've been working on this chapter for several months now.

I can't do anything but apologize, and thank everyone for their support. I am never giving up writing, and I hope you all never give up on me. I really miss the DE fandom, because you guys are just the best. A special thanks to all of you on Twitter, who stick by me (Lianne, Bella, and Kelly, to mention a few of many), even as I flit from fandom to fandom. I love you all, and I wish I could show it in a more tangible way.

I promise to try and update MUCH faster this time, and I can promise that I know exactly where we're headed next :)

I also just created an askfm account, if you guys have any questions. It's under the name Katy5219, so that might be fun, who knows.

Thank you again! I really am unworthy of all the support I've gotten, and I can only strive to do better!

xx


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